Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, cervical spine disability, headaches, and ganglion cyst of the wrist. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability is related to the March 1991 VA treatment, but his lumbar spine disability is not. The veteran is granted benefits for the cervical spine issue and denied for the lumbar spine issue.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and granted a 30 percent rating for cervical spine injury with degenerative changes. The initial 30 percent evaluation assigned for PTSD prior to July 22, 1999 was upheld, but the veteran is now rated at 50 percent from that date onwards.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings and initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD prior to July 22, 1999. The claim for a schedular rating greater than 50 percent for PTSD from July 22, 1999 was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, residuals of head injury with recurrent headaches, residuals of cervical spine and thoracic spine injuries, and gastrointestinal disorder. The veteran did not have a current disability for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings and initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD prior to July 22, 1999. The claim for a schedular rating greater than 50 percent for PTSD from July 22, 1999 was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a cervical spine disability with right shoulder, arm, and hand disability, finding that it is not related to his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current disabilities of headaches, jaw problems, facial scars, and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine are results of his inservice motor vehicle accident.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic-type tension headaches, residuals of cervical spine strain, and residuals of low back strain. The veteran's claims for increased ratings for status post nephrolithiasis, status post 3rd metatarsal stress fracture, and chronic left shoulder strain were also denied.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for increased ratings for fibromyalgia and to reopen her claim of service connection for a back disability. The neck disability claim is pending as it will be addressed in a later decision.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, bilateral leg disorder, and coccygeal strain as there is no evidence that these conditions are related to his in-service injury.

The Board denied increased ratings for arthritis of the left knee, residuals of a fracture of the cervical spine, and weakness and atrophy of the right arm and hand. The veteran's service-connected conditions are rated as 20 percent, 30 percent, and 40 percent respectively.

The Board does not have jurisdiction to review the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability and neck disability, or the ratings assigned to the service-connected residuals of a left elbow fracture and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine and left knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a compensable level of disability warranting an initial rating higher than the currently assigned evaluations.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for cervical and lumbar spine degenerative diseases, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current functional impairment.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the veteran's claims for cervical spine disability and back disability. The right knee arthritis claim is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to military service, and the laceration scar claim does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disorder was incurred in service and granted a rating of 20 percent for this condition. The ratings for spondylolysis of the lumbar spine and left median nerve compression with TOS remain unchanged.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical spine condition was not incurred during service and is not related to his service-connected left shoulder disorder. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment considering the impairment from the disabilities and his educational and occupational background. The requirements for a TDIU rating have not been met.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine, currently rated at 10 percent. The evidence did not show an exceptional or unusual disability picture.