Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's cervical strain with degenerative arthritis, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left hand strain with tendinitis, and right hand tendinitis of the index finger are all related to his service-connected cervical strain with degenerative arthritis.,Service connection is granted for these conditions as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical strain with degenerative arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck disability and headaches as secondary to his neck disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cognitive disorder is dismissed as the Veteran requested its withdrawal during the Board hearing.,Service connection for cervical radiculopathy of the left upper extremity and cervicalgia was denied due to lack of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations used for rating purposes. The Board requires a retrospective medical opinion on the severity of his cervical spine disability from June 21, 1993, to March 18, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral spinal stenosis with degenerative arthritis, cervical stenosis with hypertrophic arthropathy, and associated radiculopathy, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of cervical injury and PTSD due to procedural errors. The Veteran's current conditions include bilateral hearing loss, cervical injury, and PTSD.

The Veteran's back, right knee, left knee, and neck disabilities have been granted service connection. The evaluation for the lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome has been restored to 20 percent effective May 6, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral upper extremity sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is service-connected, but there is no opinion on whether his upper extremity conditions are related to this condition.

The appeal for PTSD is dismissed. The cervical spine and left middle finger disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) prior to February 11, 2021 are dismissed as the issues remain pending in the Legacy system.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical strain, right shoulder strain, and an acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder), finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain with osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, and knee cartilage restoration surgery, lumbar strain, cervical strain with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis, right shoulder strain, and left shoulder strain with shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis.,An effective date of December 6, 2016 has been granted for the award of service connection for right knee instability.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, left upper extremity neurological disability (C7/C8 cervical radulopathy and left ulnar neuropathy at the cubital tunnel), and right knee degenerative arthritis, right knee strain, and ACL tear.

The Veteran's claims for a TDIU prior to October 28, 2014 and temporary total evaluation for thoracolumbar spine disability were denied. Claims for evaluations in excess of the current ratings for bowel disability (from February 4, 2015 to May 18, 2024) and bladder dysfunction (from February 4, 2015 to April 18, 2024) are also denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with IVDS and cervical spine strain with IVDS are currently rated at 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for these conditions.,The Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy has been rated at 20 percent prior to April 21, 2021, and 30 percent from April 21, 2021 to November 4, 2022. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back, neck, left hip, and left knee disabilities due to procedural issues and additional development is needed.

Service connection for a back condition is granted.,Service connection for PTSD is dismissed as the claim has already been granted with an effective date of April 26, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition and a cervical spine condition are granted. The claim for posttraumatic stress disorder is remanded.