Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar disc disease and cervical disc disease. This includes obtaining VA treatment records, private medical records, and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered in reaching a decision.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD related to his military service and established a causal nexus between current symptomatology and the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA/SSA disability benefit records. The Veteran's claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is related to a February 2009 penile pump implantation surgery at the VA Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee. His claim for service connection for a cervical spine (neck) disability will be evaluated based on line of duty determination and potential etiology.

The Board has determined that it is at least as likely as not that the appellant's current chronic sinusitis had its onset during his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected back and neck disabilities have been rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher initial evaluation for either disability during the appeal period.

The Board found that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability, including degenerative disc disease (DDD), is not linked to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current disability is directly related to her in-service injury. The claims for left elbow and left hand disorders are not supported by the evidence presented.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for further development. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include patellar femoral syndrome of the right knee, asthma, and cervical spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and TDIU, finding that the Veteran's current back disabilities were not related to his active duty service or service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spondylosis, claimed as nerve damage to the neck and extremities, is being remanded due to additional development needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for service connection for headaches and for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability. The claim of reopening a cervical spine disability was also denied, as no current cervical spine disability is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as determining his Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits determination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to engage and retain substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is not shown to be productive of worse than Level I hearing acuity in the right ear or Level II hearing acuity on the left.,For the period prior to October 25, 2013, the service-connected DDD of the cervical spine was shown to have a combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees at its most limited.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional VCAA notice. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining any missing records.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including lumbar spine, cervical spine, right hip, bilateral knees, jaw fracture residuals (temporomandibular joint), and left elbow disabilities, are granted.

The Board found no current left knee disability and denied service connection for a left knee disability. The Veteran's right, cervical spine, and low back disabilities were not granted as service connected.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, resulting in the dismissal of all issues.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disorders are not service-connected as they are less likely related to his military service, including parachute jumps. The VA examiner opined that any current conditions are more likely due to natural aging rather than in-service incidents.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is currently rated at 40 percent, effective February 28, 2007. His cervical strain with degenerative arthritis is rated at 20 percent.