Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current condition is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's cervical degenerative disc disease and spondylosis is rated at 40 percent, effective August 2018.,An earlier effective date of May 4, 2016 for the grant of service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities, as well as for the VA representative to be provided an opportunity to submit a statement regarding the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's claim for lumbar retrolisthesis and arthritis of the cervical spine was also remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.,For lumbar retrolisthesis and arthritis of the cervical spine, the Board found that there is no evidence of injury during service, leading to a denial of these claims.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to assess the current severity of the Veteran's neck disability, including neurological manifestations. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining any outstanding relevant VA treatment records and scheduling a VA cervical spine examination.

The Veteran's appeal of his claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected tinnitus has been withdrawn.,The RO is directed to obtain updated VA treatment records and SSA records, as well as any missing service treatment records from the David Grant Medical Center and NPRC.,VA should request that the Veteran submit any outstanding evidence regarding his claimed in-service exposure to dead bodies and race riots at Travis Air Force Base. The RO should also request a Statement in Support of Claim for PTSD Secondary to Personal Assault, and provide adequate notice as to such claim.,The RO should afford the Veteran new VA examinations for his acquired psychiatric disorders (PTSD, depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder), TBI, migraine headaches, TMJ, cervical spine disabilities, lumbar spine disability, right upper extremity disability, and right lower extremity disability. Adequate etiological opinions are needed.,The RO should afford the Veteran VA examinations for his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as a new VA examination for his right upper extremity disability (right shoulder and arm pain and numbness, right hand disability).,The RO should afford the Veteran VA examinations for his right lower extremity disability. Adequate etiological opinions are needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for torn ACL/MCL and meniscus of the left knee, neck disability, and pinched nerve, center back due to inadequate examinations. The cases are returned to the RO for further action.

The Board denied service connection for various shoulder and foot conditions, as well as cervical spine fusion. The Veteran's right and left shoulder arthritis disabilities were not shown to meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left wrist disability, and right wrist disability has been granted.,Service connection for cervical spine condition and vertigo has also been granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by his representative.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD is granted, effective from November 12, 2010. The Veteran’s neck condition and sleep apnea are not service-connected.,Service connection for the Veteran's current neck condition is denied as less likely than not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support his claims or that the conditions did not meet the criteria for the requested ratings.

The Board has remanded all the issues related to service connection for various disorders due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's cervical strain is rated at 20 percent, and separate ratings for right arm pain are granted from April 24, 2008 to September 20, 2016, and from September 21, 2016.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes mellitus, lower back disability, and neck disability due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 30 percent since May 12, 2017. The claim for a higher rating prior to that date was denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and skin disability other than pyoderma were denied service connection. The cervical spine disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service due to lack of evidence connecting it to an in-service injury. PFB was granted as the condition began during service. The skin disability other than pyoderma was denied because there is no link between the in-service pyoderma and current conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions provided in a previous remand. The case is being sent back for further examination and opinion.