Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of right knee, left knee, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, or skin disorders (other than scars), and therefore, his claims for service connection are denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine have been denied. The claim for hypertension has also been denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and bone spurs of the cervical spine, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and increased rating for his cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support such findings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability is related to an injury sustained in active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical spine disorder resulted from an injury incurred during service, and thus grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including providing proper VCAA notice and scheduling VA examinations to address the etiology of the claimant's cervical spine disabilities and migraine headaches.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine, lumbosacral strain, and musculo-contracture headaches were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for DDD of the low back was granted with an effective date of April 9, 2003.,The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for a cervical spine disorder was granted with an effective date of April 9, 2003.,The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for bipolar disorder was granted with an effective date of April 9, 2002. SMC at the housebound rate was also granted as of this date.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition, migraine headaches, and gastritis as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected cervical strain, but the Board has determined that a remand is necessary to assess the current severity of his disability and determine if he has any radiculopathy or neurological impairment.

Service connection has been granted for a disability of the cervical spine (C5-6 and C6-7), a growth on the left foot, degenerative changes in the left knee and distal femur, and a pulmonary disorder to include COPD. Service connection was not established for blisters of the feet.,The veteran's service connection claims were granted based on presumptive exposure to Gulf War conditions.

The Board has determined that a 20 percent rating is warranted for the veteran's residuals of a cervical spine injury, based on moderate limitation of motion.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased rating for cervical spine diskectomy and fusion was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for cervical spondylosis is denied.,An effective date of July 8, 1998 is granted for the assignment of a 60 percent rating for lumbosacral spine disorder.

The Board found that the evidence does not support service connection for a right shoulder condition, as it is more likely due to a pre-existing condition or unrelated to service. The veteran's cervical spine and scoliosis conditions were also not supported by the evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient clinical records and scheduling the veteran for a VA spine examination to determine the current severity of her service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine and any current cervical spine disorder.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective from February 10, 2006. The right ankle and gastroesophageal reflux disease disabilities are each rated at 10 percent.