Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine neuropathy, but denied the claim of right upper extremity neuropathy related to cervical spine. The Veteran is assigned a 30% disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to his spinal and extremity disabilities, including ratings for cervical spine fusion, lumbar spine conditions, radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities. The case is being remanded due to a need for a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues, and no specific service connection decisions are made in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various conditions and claims, including those related to his knee replacements, ankle disorders, carotid stenosis, and right leg wounds. The appeals were addressed in the context of rating decisions and effective dates.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and an inaccurate medical history provided in a previous VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for the requested higher disability ratings or service connection.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is rated at 10 percent prior to September 26, 2003 and at 20 percent from that date. The lumbar spine disorder remains rated at 10 percent.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development of his TDIU claim, including consideration of all service-connected disabilities on employability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, schedule her for a VA examination, and adjudicate the claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Spartansburg Regional Hospital and ensuring that all actions are taken in compliance with this remand. The Veteran's claims of service connection for neck and back disabilities will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was on a period of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA when he was involved in an automobile accident in March 1996, resulting in cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The evidence supports a finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not caused by the MVA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various orthopedic disabilities, including bilateral shoulder, arm/wrist, and forearm/wrist disabilities, cervical spine, lumbar spine, left posterior rib cage disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence to support the claimed disabilities or their relationship to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the cervical spine to include the shoulders and granted the claim, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective February 7, 2002. He also received a separate rating for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity associated with his cervical spine disability and a 10 percent rating for impingement syndrome of the right shoulder.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and examination reports.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a cervical spine disorder, right ear hearing loss for VA purposes, or residuals of bilateral inguinal hernias. As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative changes of the cervical spine are attributable to service and grants service connection for this condition.