Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal involves three separate issues: a claim for an increased rating for cervical spine disability, a claim for scars from surgery, and a request to reopen his right ankle sprain claim. The Board has referred these claims back to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an orthopedic examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep disability, left shoulder disability, and DDD of the cervical spine due to a lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical DDD is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal of the cervical spine claim has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for this issue. The lumbar spine claim is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to June 26, 2009, and to a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter, for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is denied.

The Board has reviewed the appellant's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD, a cervical spine injury, and injuries to her right ankle and arm. The RO previously denied these claims in February 1998 and March 2000 due to lack of evidence linking the current conditions to military service. New evidence submitted since then does not raise a reasonable possibility of sustaining any of the claims.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a chronic left rhomboid or cervical spine disability in service, and the medical opinion provided does not support a finding that any current disabilities are related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a psychiatric disorder (to include paranoid personality disorder), and a visual disability have been denied. The claim of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a neurological disorder has been granted with a 10% evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The decision did not address the issue of service connection, as it was addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of current anemia, and the Veteran does not have chronic anemia. For his degenerative disc disease, C5-6, with cervical strain, the VA examiner did not find any limitation in motion or other symptoms that would warrant a higher rating. His right ear hearing loss was also rated as 0 percent disabling.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial and subsequent ratings for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and excisions of basal cell carcinoma were denied. The RO granted service connection for these conditions but did not assign any effective dates or specific ratings.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities due to additional evidence received since the May 2009 supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, hearing loss, neck disability, hypertension, and bilateral knee disability. The appeal is remanded to verify the Veteran's claimed periods of active duty service.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's cervical spine disability, effective September 14, 2004. The right hand paresthesia is rated at 20 percent disabling from September 10, 2009.

The Board found that the Veteran's current neck disability is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development including obtaining recent medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current level of disability due to service-connected cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete examination and treatment records, as well as the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for a left knee condition as there is no competent medical evidence linking any current left knee disorder to active service.