Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2006

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the spine did not exist prior to service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disorders did not originate in service or within one year of his discharge, and were not otherwise etiologically related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The veteran's claims for secondary service connection for cervical spine and hip disabilities were denied. The rating for his traumatic degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, L4-5 and L5-S1, with spondylosis was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's osteoarthritis of the cervical spine and shoulders is not related to his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the back, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical and thoracic spine disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service, nor are they proximately due to or caused by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities. The evaluations were found to be appropriate based on the current symptoms and diagnostic criteria.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and right shoulder, maintaining the current 20 percent disability ratings.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for her cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded to the RO for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a neurological condition, carpal tunnel syndrome, and skin condition. The veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board found no evidence of a neck disability or post-concussion syndrome that is service-connected. The veteran's complaints were attributed to his jaw injury in service, but there was no objective medical finding supporting these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 11, 2003, for service connection and a 30 percent evaluation for right ulnar neuropathy. The appeal was not about reopening a cervical spine disorder.

The veteran withdrew his appeal of all issues before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disorder, low back pain, and neck pain are not service-connected as they are attributed to drug abuse following discharge from service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability. The veteran's current shoulder disability is related to an in-service injury, and the medical evidence supports this finding.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine and cervical spine/neck disability, as the submitted evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee, left ankle, lumbar spine, and cervical spine.

The Board found that the evidence did not connect the veteran's neck disability to his time in service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The RO found that the current evaluations adequately reflected the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine and upper extremity disabilities, including shoulder disorders, were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.