Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death due to a lack of evidence linking his cancer, which caused his death, to his period of active military service or exposure to Agent Orange during service. The appellant's contentions were not substantiated by the evidence of record.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his cervical spine disability and service connection for depression secondary to the disability are being remanded due to scheduling issues.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a chronic disability due to recurrent episodic vaginitis or other gynecological symptomatology noted during service, and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for compensation benefits for the residuals of a cervical spine injury sustained at a VA facility on October 10, 1978, pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypertrophic arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and sacroiliac and hips joints were denied. The RO assigned noncompensable evaluations for the hip condition.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for cervical dysplasia, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ syndrome), residuals of trauma to tooth number 31, and periodontal disease and broken and loose crowns are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine, left knee, and right hip disabilities as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine fusion and right arm radicular symptoms were not incurred in or related to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a seizure disorder and a cervical spine disorder, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's service-connected cervical spine and lumbosacral spine conditions are currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for either condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spondylosis with diskectomy and headaches are not service-connected as they are not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is currently rated at 20 percent, and his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 40 percent. The effective date for these ratings is April 15, 1993.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board found no evidence of spinal meningitis during service and denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the cervical and lumbar spine, as well as a right knee disorder. The Board also noted that there was insufficient evidence to establish secondary service connection.

The veteran's osteoid osteoma, C6, with cervical degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease is currently rated as 30 percent disabling. The Board has also granted a separate 10 percent rating for the veteran's headaches.

The Board found that the veteran's thoracic and cervical spine disorders are not related to service, but his migraine headaches were first manifested in service. The claim for a higher rating for DDD of the lumbosacral spine was granted.

The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether the veteran's cervical disc disease and Parkinson's disease had their inception during active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the reduction in the evaluation for the veteran's cervical spine disability from 20 percent to 10 percent was proper based on improvement in her disability as reflected in recent examinations.

The September 1980 decision denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected cervical spine condition. The January 1989 decision granted the same claim, but with a reduced rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical spondylosis and related symptoms are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a neck injury or disease during his active duty service. The Board found that the medical records do not support a direct link between the veteran's current condition and his military service.