Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of his claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and considering changes in rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, cervical spine disorder, sleep disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, and residuals of steroid use. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not submit a timely substantive appeal for his claim of service connection for generalized anxiety disorder. The RO's January 1999 decision denying memory loss symptoms as a chronic disability resulting from undiagnosed illness is final. New evidence received since the January 1999 decision supports reopening this claim, but does not establish service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's cervical strain disability does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's current cervical spine condition was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 20% disability rating for the veteran's service-connected cervical strain, effective from October 1998. The initial increased rating claim for rhinosinusitis remains denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability, which was initially granted in February 1994 and rated at 10 percent, does not warrant a higher rating. The current 20 percent rating is maintained as it reflects moderate limitation of motion.

The veteran's cervical spine disorder was rated at 20% prior to August 11, 2004.,Effective September 23, 2002, the veteran is entitled to a 20% rating for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity and no rating for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current hearing loss in either ear, and thus service connection for defective hearing is denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for a bilateral shoulder condition and thoracic and cervical spine condition due to procedural issues, medical opinions are needed regarding the relationship between his service-connected low back disability and these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical spine disorder is not related to his military service and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the current diagnoses of osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence showing an injury during service and a lack of nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Board granted service connection for a chronic acquired disorder of the cervical spine, a chronic acquired headache disorder, and denied service connection for allergies and herpes simplex.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for her service-connected cervical spine disability and migraine headaches, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected postoperative residuals of hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous systems of the right lower extremity warranted a 40% rating. However, it was determined that none of his other claimed conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service and are not related to his service-connected condition.

The veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum assignable under current regulations.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for an addendum to the May 2004 VA examination regarding the relationship between the veteran's cervical spine disability and his service. The case will be reviewed again after this additional information is provided.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for cervical strain is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from the Clarksburg VA Medical Center.

The Board granted entitlement to service connection for internal derangement of the left knee as secondary to service-connected internal derangement of the right knee, and assigned a 20 percent evaluation effective August 16, 2000. The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his cervical spine disability and right knee disability were remanded.