Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding private treatment records and the need for medical opinions regarding his heart disability, peptic ulcer disease, and gastritis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back pain, chronic cervical spine pain, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.,Service connection was not granted because the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any diagnosed conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's cervical strain with radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent, and the Board has remanded for further examination to determine if a higher rating is warranted. The skin disorder affecting his hands and feet remains rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to determine if there is any relationship between the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and his service. The TDIU claim was also remanded due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, alcohol abuse, and erectile dysfunction. The remaining issues of service connection for low back disability, neck disability, bilateral arm neuropathy, mouth disability, and respiratory disability are remanded for further development.

This decision grants service connection for degenerative joint disease and spondylosis of the cervical spine, degenerative joint disease, chronic discopathy, and osteoarthritis of lumbar spine and chronic thoracic myalgia concomitant with degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine, headaches, and paresthesias of the left thigh, all secondary to service-connected left inferior pubic stress fracture.,This decision also grants an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to scoliosis and its secondary effects are being remanded due to the need for further development.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity and cervical spine degenerative joint disease are granted. The Board has remanded the issues of bilateral shoulder disabilities, bilateral knee condition, and low back pain for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's neck disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and TDIU have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding that it was not incurred during active duty and is not otherwise related to military service or his service-connected lumbar stenosis and DDD.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Sleep apnea has also been granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder and lumbar spine disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, low back disability, bilateral ankle disability, right foot disability, and left foot disability. The AOJ will obtain updated medical records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the severity and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and cervical spine disorders due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's assertions, private medical opinions, and lay statements support a link between his current conditions and in-service incidents.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder arthritis and cervical spine disorder, finding that these conditions were at least as likely as not aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability. The issue of TDIU prior to August 15, 2011 is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to heart disability, hypertension disability, skin disability, and cervical disability. The issues include whether these conditions are related to his active service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for cervical spine disability and TDIU due to incomplete examinations and failure to address certain directives from previous remands.

The Board has dismissed the claims for DJD of the cervical spine and lumbar spine, as well as the ratings for left knee, internal derangement of the left knee, residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, scarring of the right knee, and hidradenitis suppurativa. The issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (secondary to major depressive disorder), rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder, and TDIU have been remanded.