Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, left and right arm disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's right ring finger disability is characterized by pain and limitation of motion, but she is already in receipt of the highest possible disability rating for her ankylosis.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted based on credible lay evidence that the Veteran experienced ringing in her ears during service.

The Board is remanding the issue of a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine from June 29, 2015 onward due to insufficient information. VA treatment records from June 2016 through the present need to be obtained and associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature, cause, and relationship of his claimed disabilities to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further medical examinations. The issues include back, neck, foot, urticaria, TBI, and headaches.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including shoulder, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and cardiac disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to clarify the specific claim sought by the Veteran regarding his shoulder disability, obtain in-service treatment records from Landstuhl Medical Center, request clinical records from the VA facility where an April 2016 lumbar spine x-ray was performed, and schedule a VA examination for the cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The AOJ is also instructed to obtain service treatment records of Fort Dix and Germany, request any outstanding VA medical records, and schedule a VA examination for the cardiac disability. Additionally, the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder claim is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD is etiologically related to his active duty service.,Service connection for cervical spine strain and lumbar spine strain are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for bilateral ankle lateral ligament strain and cephalgia headaches are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome is granted as it was initially diagnosed during active duty service.,Service connection for TBI is remanded due to lack of medical records from the 1993 motor vehicle accident and incomplete service treatment records.,Entitlement to a special monthly compensation (SMC) for loss of use of a creative organ is held in abeyance as it is intrinsically intertwined with the remanded erectile dysfunction issue.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as service-connected.,There is no evidence of a current left shoulder disability, and the claim for this condition is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for TBI residuals and a neck disorder due to inadequate VA examinations. Additional evidence is needed, including VA treatment records and additional VA examinations.

The petition to reopen the claims for entitlement to service connection for a neck (cervical spine) condition and left upper extremity numbness and tingling is granted.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and left knee disabilities due to potential service connection issues, including secondary to his service-connected right knee and bilateral foot conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for a left foot disorder and remanded the issue of service connection for a cervical spine (neck) disorder.

The appeal regarding the claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, cervical spine disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection for psoriasis is granted.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD have been granted. The cervical spine disability and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy claims are remanded due to the need for further examination. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder, as her current medical records do not provide sufficient information.

The claim for residuals of a head injury was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.,The claim for psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, has been reopened based on the submission of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for cervical degenerative disc disease with arthritis, tinnitus, and left upper extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of osteoarthritis of the left and right hips, left and right knee conditions, and DDD of the cervical spine as secondary to lumbosacral degenerative disease were denied.,PTSD was also denied.