Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the appellant's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is attributable to service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current neck, lower back, and hypertension disabilities. Specifically, VA examinations are required to address whether these conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the right hand, feet, and knees. The cervical spine condition was not granted as secondary to a low back disability, and the thoracic spine condition was also not granted as secondary to a low back disability.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine osteoporosis with DDD and DJD are rated at 20 percent each, effective from the date of his initial claims for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for circulatory obstruction of the right upper extremity with paresthesia, occasional pain, venous dilation, and limitation of motion. The Veteran is now entitled to service connection for this condition as it is found to be causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Board found that the Veteran's disabilities from a 2000 motor vehicle accident, including cervical cord contusion with myelopathy, traumatic brain injury (twice), seizure disorder, and left-sided hemiparesis, are due to his own willful misconduct.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left scapula disorders, entitlement to increased ratings for dorso-lumbar strain and tinnitus, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated based on its current manifestations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen her previously denied claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder. The Veteran now seeks service connection for this condition, which she contends is secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as her service-connected herpes and pilonidal cyst scar did not meet the criteria for higher ratings. Her initial rating for herpes remains at 10 percent, while her pilonidal cyst scar continues to be rated noncompensable.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for further development, including the provision of an updated VA examination and readjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine disabilities, including cervical spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative joint disease, are at least as likely as not incurred during his military service due to a motorcycle accident in 1972.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that a cervical spine disorder is causally related to an injury incurred during INACDUTRA and granted service connection for the condition.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims can be adjudicated, including obtaining service personnel records and SSA records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability. The Veteran's cervical spine disability, characterized as cervical spondylolisthesis or post-traumatic arthritis, is etiologically related to his active service.