Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected cervical spine disability, as there was no evidence of ankylosis or other factors that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis, effective July 23, 2019.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, neck disability, and lower back disability based on new and relevant evidence. However, it denied service connection for a right knee disability.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions as a matter of law due to claims processing errors preventing concurrent review.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, right knee, plantar fasciitis, and sleep disorder, as the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or functional impairment affecting earning capacity.

The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities, including left hip, left knee, right knee, fatigue, loss of smell, loss of taste, and neck conditions, as there was no evidence of a current disability at any time during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied an effective date prior to May 3, 2021 for the award of service connection for various disabilities and DEA benefits.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for left wrist synovitis with osteoarthritis and service connection for neck, left knee, and left hip disabilities to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for emphysema, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a compensable rating for migraine headaches, and higher ratings for TBI, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and cervical degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease other than IVDS and spinal stenosis due to inadequate medical opinions and missing service treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbosacral strain disability, and left knee osteoarthritis disability based on new and relevant evidence received since previous denials.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability, right wrist disability, cervical spine disability, right hand peripheral neuropathy, migraine disability, and psychiatric disorder.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for lumbosacral strain, cervical strain, and radiculopathies, effective August 20, 2018, the day following separation from active-duty service.

The Board denied service connection for frontal sinusitis and remanded claims for left knee strain, right knee strain, back disability, and neck disability.

The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the service connection claims for prostate cancer, kidney cancer, cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability.

The Board denied service connection for various claimed conditions, including cervical spine disorder, knee disorders, neuritis of the upper and lower extremities, lumbar spine disorder, and musculoskeletal arthritis, as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, granted a separate 20 percent rating for right knee instability from March 14, 2022, and denied service connection for insomnia. The appeal also includes remanded claims for secondary service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot disability and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his active service.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 50 percent for chronic sinusitis, 10 percent for tinnitus, and 30 percent for cervical strain. It granted an initial rating of at least 10 percent for right tibia fracture residuals effective January 26, 2018, and at least 20 percent effective June 2, 2021. The Board remanded several other issues including secondary service connection claims.

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for deviated septum status post septoplasty is dismissed as moot. The initial ratings higher than 20 percent for cervical strain, 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, and 10 percent for left wrist, right index finger, and right long finger strains are denied. An initial compensable rating for headaches is also denied.