Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service combat-related acoustic trauma and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine and lumbosacral spine are causally related to combat injuries suffered during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's cervical spine disability effective from May 4, 2004. The rating is based on neurological manifestations of the condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, finding no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The veteran was also not found to have any disability attributable to exposure to Agent Orange.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, and TDIU rating have been granted with effective dates of November 24, 1987. The ratings for the lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are set at 20% from November 24, 1987 to July 30, 2000, and 40% and 30%, respectively, after that date.

The veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability, and for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine and superior thoracic levoscoliosis are not addressed in this decision. The Board has jurisdiction over the remaining issues: Service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is denied as it was not incurred during service or due to a service-connected disability, while tinnitus is granted as it was incurred during active service.

The veteran does not have additional cervical spine disability, nor was there any increase in severity of the pre-existing cervical spine disability, as a result of VA treatment in 1988.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, residuals of a right arm injury, and cervical spine disability. The claim for colon polyps and carcinoma of the colon was not addressed as it is unclear if this issue was part of the original appeal.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for his cervical spine disability and associated left upper extremity symptoms have been granted. He is currently rated at 20 percent for the period from December 10, 2002 through the present.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the hands, knees, and cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine as aggravated by active service.

The veteran's claim seeking an increased rating for his cervical spine/neck disability was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for cervical spine disability was denied for the period from January 16, 2001 to February 25, 2001 and June 1, 2001 to September 23, 2002. However, his current evaluation of 30% is maintained.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for left knee, lumbar spine, cervical spine and left ankle disorders due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during periods of active duty training.

The Board has granted service connection for gout, but denied the remaining issues of cervical spine disability, cardiovascular disability, bilateral shoulder arthritis, and bilateral knee arthritis. The veteran's gout is considered to have originated during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have arthritis of the cervical and thoracic spine that is related to military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating and special monthly compensation due to insufficient evidence linking her inability to carry a pregnancy to term with her service-connected cervical biopsy.

The veteran's appeals for PTSD service connection, increased ratings for cervical spine disorder and postoperative residuals of Haglund's deformity of the heels, as well as an original rating for fibromyalgia are being remanded due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The veteran's stomach tumors with gastrectomy are not related to active service, presumptively or otherwise. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his neck and right shoulder disabilities, as well as compensable initial ratings for atrophy of salivary glands with impairment of mastication, diminished sense of smell, and diminished sense of taste.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine strain and left shoulder strain are more likely than not associated with her service, granting her claims for these conditions.