Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for damage from femoral and other grafts, left foot ulcer and damage, and a neck disability as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or any service-connected condition.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition and TDIU due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied increased ratings for the neck, left wrist ganglion cyst, and left wrist scar; granted increased ratings for the bilateral CTS and hypertension for part of the periods of appeal; and remanded the issues of increased ratings for bilateral CTS with radiculopathy from June 20, 2022, and entitlement to a TDIU prior to June 20, 2022.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, bilateral trochanteric pain syndrome, and a gastrointestinal disability, to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to January 31, 2011, as his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including degenerative diseases of the cervical and lumbar spine, radiculopathies affecting various extremities, OSA, hepatic steatosis, and supraventricular arrhythmia.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a neck condition, to include degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, cervical lordosis, and bone atrophy, as secondary to degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, due to duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability and cervical spine disorder to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right wrist disability, but remanded claims for cervical pain, left knee condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, left hip strain, and right hip strain.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, neck disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, right ankle disability, left leg shin splints, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right pinky finger disability, hypertension, tuberculosis, and GERD. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and cervical spine disorder, finding no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain and tendinopathy of the right and left thumbs, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a left wrist disability, a right wrist disability, a right elbow disability, a left ankle disability, radicular pain and paresthesia of the upper extremities, traumatic brain injury, and PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as an earlier effective date for hypertension.

The appeal was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) more than a year after the relevant rating decisions were issued.

The Board granted service connection for chronic urinary tract infections but denied service connection for a cervical strain.

The Board granted service connection for a neck disability, an initial rating of 30 percent for headaches, and a rating of 40 percent for a back disability. The claims for left and right upper extremity radiculopathy were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for cervical IVDS with degenerative arthritis and segmental instability from December 22, 2021 to January 12, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these disabilities are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the claims for earlier effective dates for TDIU, DEA benefits, and service connection for various conditions due to lack of evidence of entitlement prior to November 21, 2000.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and increased the disability ratings for lumbar and cervical spine IVDS with arthritis to 50% and 40%, respectively, from June 12, 2017.