Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for chronic bronchitis, left ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and cervical spine disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with radiculopathy, including numbness of the right ear, right upper extremity to include shoulder and arm, and left arm. The Veteran's condition is linked to his in-service injury playing football.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine. The neck disability and headaches claims are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and effective dates of December 1, 2009 have been established for all conditions. The appeal was accepted as a timely notice of disagreement with the January 2010 rating decision.

The Board has found that the Veteran's cervical spine, headache, and PTSD disabilities are service connected. However, his bilateral upper extremity disability remains unresolved due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that there was no evidence linking it to service or any other condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence that needs to be reviewed and considered by the RO.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder, DDD of the cervical spine with spasms, and DDD of the lumbosacral spine due to a lack of detailed range of motion findings and functional loss.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective June 14, 2018. The cervical spine disability was granted a 10 percent rating prior to April 26, 2010 and denied any higher rating after that date. Right upper extremity radiculopathy received a 20 percent rating from June 15, 2018.

The Board has denied service connection for degenerative joint disease and cervical stenosis, finding that the Veteran's accident was due to his own misconduct. The case is remanded for further development regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been denied. The appeal to restore the rating for cervical spine DDD has been granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination due to insufficient evidence regarding the current state of the Veteran's service-connected right leg tibial neuropathy, as well as his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities. The claims are also being remanded because there is no adequate record of all relevant private treatment records from Overlake Hospital Medical Center.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including a right hip disability, cervical spine disability, back disability, and right shoulder disability. The issues are inextricably intertwined due to the potential impact on the right hip claim. A menstrual disability claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further development in regards to service connection.

The Veteran's right arm and/or elbow disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis.,Service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 due to a post-service injury.,Right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 as it is secondary to a pre-existing condition.,Left upper extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 due to a post-service injury.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 as it is secondary to a pre-existing condition.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 due to a post-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for seborrheic dermatitis, dismissed the cervical spine and headache claims due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the case for an additional VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disabilities, including whether they are related to service-connected degenerative arthritis residuals of acromioclavicular separation, right shoulder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cervical spine disability and her service, as well as its relation to a previously granted lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine and lumbar spine disorders, but the right shoulder disorder claim is remanded due to lack of VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea, depression, and other disabilities due to outstanding evidence and further medical evaluation.