Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension on account of the need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for her service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine with radiculopathy, currently rated at 40 percent.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his cervical spine disability is being remanded due to the need to consider new regulations and additional medical evidence.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine disability did not begin during service and was not caused by an injury or disease in service. Therefore, service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied.

The veteran is disabled due to multiple conditions and requires regular aid and attendance, qualifying for special monthly pension benefits.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for her chronic cervical syndrome is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a thorough examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and charley horses/muscle cramps of the legs and thighs, as well as his claim for an increased rating for a scar on the left thumb. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology since service. The veteran's current conditions are attributed to post-service work-related injuries.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination without providing good cause.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected cervical spine disability is being remanded due to the need for further development, including a new VA examination and consideration of recent changes in diagnostic criteria.

The Board found that the reduction of the evaluation for the veteran's post-operative cervical spine degenerative disc disease from 10 percent to noncompensable was improper.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining employment records and medical treatment records.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder was denied. The issue of new and material evidence for cervical osteoarthritis and left shoulder disorder was granted, but the veteran's request for a compensable evaluation for his left wrist ganglion cyst was denied.,The veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish that his current conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for DJD of the cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, right knee, left knee, and recurrent pulmonary emboli as secondary to service-connected melioidosis.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to ensure compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 and proper consideration of both former and revised criteria for rating spine disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date prior to September 27, 2001 for a total rating due to unemployability caused by service-connected disabilities and whether the representative's communication constituted a valid Notice of Disagreement. The veteran was granted a TR with an effective date of September 27, 2001.

The veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for residuals of a compression fracture of the cervical spine, C-7 is being remanded due to failure to provide VCAA notice.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the veteran's claims, including a VA medical examination to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected cervical strain with degenerative joint disease. The RO must also obtain any pertinent medical records from February 2000 to February 2001 and consider the veteran's claim for extraschedular entitlement.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date were denied. The Board also reopened the claim for service connection for cervical disc disease with headaches, but denied a higher initial rating.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have PTSD or a cervical spine disorder related to his military service and thus denied both claims.