Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for left ankle arthritis, left knee arthritis, DDD/DJD of the thoracolumbar spine, or DJD of the cervical spine. The Veteran's STRs do not contain any records indicating these conditions during his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for extraschedular consideration of her service-connected cervical spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy with carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded three cases involving cervical spine disability, left shoulder rotator cuff injury, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, lumbar radiculopathy, and carpal tunnel syndrome as they are not causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding no evidence of direct or secondary service connection. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish aggravation by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and neck disabilities due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending before VA for further review.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 13, 2013 for the grant of service connection for left shoulder instability is denied.,The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection and increased ratings for cervical spine disability, right shoulder strain with instability, left shoulder instability, and lumbar surgery scar, status-post laminectomy.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to July 16, 2012 and May 10, 2014 are also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, a cervical spine disorder as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder, and a left hip disorder as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder.,Service connection was not granted because the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's back disorders were related to active service.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing updated opinions from VA examiners.

The Veteran's cervical strain is rated at 20 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity is rated at 40 percent prior to November 5, 2019, and a higher rating is denied from that date forward.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left upper extremity is rated at 30 percent effective November 5, 2019, and a higher rating is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a cervical spine disability and headaches due to head trauma, as well as the claim for TDIU. The VA needs to obtain an addendum opinion from Dr. P.G., who performed the January 2018 examination, regarding whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased evaluation of various conditions, including left knee disability, hypertension, cervical spine disability, and a left arm disability. The issues are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology and severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hip, neck, knee, and shoulder disabilities due to their relationship with a now-service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a cervical spine disability and right shoulder disability, to include nerve damage. The decision was based on the lack of new and material evidence submitted since the September 2013 rating decision.

The Veteran was denied compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional cervical spine disability and headaches / constant head pain and numbness / tingling of the right forearm, hand, and fingers as a result of VA right shoulder surgery performed on July 16, 2010.,The Veteran's additional disabilities were not caused by or aggravated by the July 16, 2010 VA right shoulder surgery. The disabilities were due to degenerative changes in the cervical spine and other factors.

The Board has decided that the service connection for a hysterectomy due to fibroids and cervical dysplasia needs further examination as no VA examiner has provided an adequate opinion on whether the Veteran's post-service hysterectomy was caused by her in-service gynecological procedures.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of depressive disorder is denied. The Board finds that the earliest possible effective date is January 31, 2014, when he submitted a VA Form 21-526 EZ Fully Developed Claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities for additional development. The initial ratings for both conditions are being reviewed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a neck disability and a brain aneurysm, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected cervical spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination that adheres to the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald (2016).