Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is rated at 40 percent from March 16, 2018. The remaining issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of panic disorder, right elbow disability, and sleep disorder. The claims for cervical spine disability, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, and fibromyalgia were denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for dysthymia has been reopened and granted. The appeals for the other conditions are still pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a cervical spine disorder and a disability rating greater than 10 percent for low back strain due to insufficient examination reports, lack of range of motion testing in accordance with Correia v. McDonald (2016), and outstanding VA/private treatment records.

The Board previously denied the claim for service connection of cervical spine disorder, which is now remanded due to an inadequate prior VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder, NOS are rated at 70 percent. The Board granted TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of increased ratings for cervical spine, right knee, and left ankle disorders due to inadequate examinations in previous reviews.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, cervical spine condition, low back pain, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and arthritis of the shoulders. The cervical spine condition, bilateral knee conditions, and bilateral arm conditions are remanded due to lack of a VA medical examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to exposure to noise in service. The cervical spine and left knee disability claims are remanded for additional development.

The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hand, osteoarthritis of the right hand, and hypertension. Service connection was denied for a cervical spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and determining the exact dates of his active duty. The claims for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right foot metatarsalgia, cervical spine disability, chronic myositis of the paracervical spine muscles, left shoulder disability, left arm disability, lumbar spine disability, chronic myositis of the paralumbar spine muscles, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded. The claim for acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD) is also remanded.

The Veteran's kidney cysts are related to his military service and specifically Gulf War Syndrome.,The Veteran's right knee disability is related to service or a service-connected foot condition.,The Veteran's left elbow disability (tendonitis) is related to service.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to service.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is related to service and his service-connected feet.,The Veteran's lung disability is not likely due to environmental exposure in Southwest Asia, but may be related to Gulf War Syndrome or undiagnosed illness.,The Veteran's headaches are of unknown etiology, possibly related to chemical exposure in service.,The Veteran's disability of the left upper extremity (intermittent numbness) is related to a military injury and/or his service-connected feet.,The Veteran's disability of the right upper extremity (intermittent numbness) is related to a military injury and/or his service-connected feet.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee tricompartmental degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine disability (DDD, degenerative spondylolisthesis, IVDS, arachnoiditis of the cauda equina, and multilevel disc bulging with neural foraminal narrowing), and cervical spine disability (cervical myelopathy, status post C4-5, C5-6 discectomy and fusion, and multilevel degenerative and discogenic disease with neural foraminal narrowing and spinal canal narrowing) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.,The Board found that there is a causal relationship between the Veteran’s service-connected right knee disability and his thoracolumbar spine disability (DDD, degenerative spondylolisthesis, IVDS, arachnoiditis of the cauda equina, and multilevel disc bulging with neural foraminal narrowing) and cervical spine disability (cervical myelopathy, status post C4-5, C5-6 discectomy and fusion, and multilevel degenerative and discogenic disease with neural foraminal narrowing and spinal canal narrowing).

The Veteran's claim is remanded for additional development on several issues, including service connection for various conditions and a separate rating for right hand scars.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims and an increased rating claim for left knee arthritis, as well as a TDIU claim due to the need for additional VA and private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability and right knee disability due to insufficient development of evidence, including missing service treatment records and lack of a definitive opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's DJD of the cervical spine and lumbar spine are related to service, and his allergic rhinitis is not found to have preexisted service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.