Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that further development is needed before a decision can be made on the merits of the veteran's claims for service connection for anal fissure and neck disability. The case will be remanded to the RO for additional evidence and examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluation were denied. The claim to reopen the cervical spine disorder was not supported by new and material evidence.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorders, and mental health conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a cervical spine disorder that was incurred in or aggravated by active service, and arthritis of the cervical spine may not be presumed to have been incurred as a result of active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's folliculitis decalvans, acne, and xerosis are not related to service. The cervical spine and left hip disorders are also not shown to be related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not have a cervical spine injury or arthritis during service, and any such disability was initially shown many years after service. Therefore, service connection for residuals of a cervical spine injury is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an extension of his Chapter 30 benefits eligibility period due to a physical or mental disability preventing him from initiating or completing a chosen program of education within the applicable eligibility period. The medical evidence did not clearly establish such a disability.

The VA denied the veteran's request for an increased rating for his cervical spine disorder, currently evaluated at 30 percent. The RO considered Diagnostic Codes 5290 and 5287 in evaluating the condition.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of residuals of a head injury and also denied his claim for a combined disability evaluation greater than 90 percent.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the veteran's degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that his disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence without a waiver by the RO.

Service connection is granted for post-traumatic arthritis of C3 and C4, but denied for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine. Service connection is also granted for arthritis of both knees, but hearing loss of the right ear remains denied.,The veteran's traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine is linked to an injury sustained while on active duty.

The veteran's claim for service connection for pharyngitis was denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea, secondary to service-connected sinusitis, was also denied.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected fibromyalgia with degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is currently productive of no more than widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, with associated fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, irritable bowel symptoms, depression, anxiety, and/or Raynaud's-like symptoms which are constant (or nearly so), and refractory to therapy. As such, the veteran does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent.

The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease at L4-5 and L5-S1 is currently rated 40 percent disabling, while his cervical muscle strain with tension headaches is rated 20 percent. The case was remanded for further development.

The Board found that the veteran did not incur additional disability of the left shoulder or neck as a result of right hip surgery performed by VA in December 1993 and May 1996, respectively.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical dysplasia does not warrant a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board found that the veteran's back condition was not incurred in or aggravated during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining the appellant's Social Security Administration records.

The Board found that the veteran's current neck and lumbar problems started after his August 1996 motor vehicle accident, and concluded that these conditions are not related to his service-connected injury. Therefore, he is not entitled to an increased rating for residuals of a back injury with cervical and lumbar myalgias.