Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for ankylosing spondylitis, cervical spine; ankylosing spondylitis, lumbar spine; chronic fatigue syndrome; left hip strain; and tendinosis, right hip. However, it denied service connection for ankylosing spondylitis, cervical spine; ankylosing spondylitis, lumbar spine; left hip strain; tendinosis, right hip; bilateral plantar fasciitis; and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD with acute TBI was increased from 50% to 70%, but no higher, while other claims for increased ratings were denied.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for a thoracic strain and cervical strain, as the evidence did not support an earlier date than those assigned by the AOJ.

The Board granted service connection for right hip arthritis, left hip arthritis, right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD), cervical spine arthritis, right foot pain causing impairment in earning capacity, and left foot pain causing impairment in earning capacity on a direct basis.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain, lumbar strain, left foot plantar fasciitis, right foot plantar fasciitis, post traumatic residual pain dysfunction of the right wrist, right wrist surgical scars, bilateral tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The character of discharge was also found not to bar VA benefits.

The Board granted service connection for back disability, neck disability, anemia, right shoulder impingement and degenerative arthritis, back scars, stenosis and facet joint hypertrophy of the lumbar spine and chronic thoracic myalgia, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and neck disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The veteran's appeal was denied as it was not timely filed, and good cause for an extension of time to file the appeal has not been shown.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability and a higher rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome based on the lack of evidence showing current disabilities or that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied readjudication of the claim for service connection for a right knee condition and remanded claims for service connection for cervical spine, left knee, and thoracolumbar spine conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a right forehead scar and remanded the claims for service connection of various other disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim.

The Board remands the issues of increased ratings for cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine spondylosis for additional development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including OSA and hypertension, due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and dismissed the appeals for service connection for left foot, right foot, and right hand conditions due to untimely filings. The remaining claims were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded several claims, including those for back disability, left wrist disability, and others.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, and cervical radiculopathy as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, left shoulder, and head injury disabilities to ensure proper development of the evidentiary record.

The Board remands the claim for an additional opinion as the previous VA examination is found to be inadequate.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition and right shoulder condition, to include as secondary to a cervical spine condition, due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that the evidence was in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability had its onset in service.