Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including degenerative disc disease (DDD), is found to have its onset during active duty as a result of his duties as a fighter jet pilot. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The appeals for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy and prior to January 30, 2021, for left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy are dismissed.,The appeal for a TDIU prior to January 30, 2021 is granted. The appeals for an effective date prior to January 30, 2021 for right upper extremity radiculopathy and a rating in excess of 40 percent on and after January 30, 2021 for left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy are remanded.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's death, as they do not survive their deaths.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and consideration of lay statements regarding his knee symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to obtain private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's disabilities, particularly Arnold-Chiari Malformation (ACM) and its secondary effects on other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right ankle, cervical spine, lumbar spine, cephalgia, partial loss of use of upper extremities, and gout involving the left hand, knees, and ankles as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries or diseases.,The Board found that the Veteran's current disabilities do not have a direct link to his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because he did not submit a completed VA Form 21-8940 to support his application, and there is no indication in the evidence of record that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's heart disability is granted as service-connected. The cervical spine disability and related neurological disorders are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding the left knee scars and has remanded several other issues for further review.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence supports reopening the claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, hemorrhoids, respiratory disorder, left ankle, and left foot disorders. These conditions are now subject to further evaluation.,The appeal as to these six issues is granted.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent, and a separate 40 percent rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with the cervical spine disability is granted from May 27, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck, back, and right hip disabilities due to an in-service fall. Additional development is needed including obtaining VA treatment records, non-VA medical records, and National Guard STRs.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty for training with the Florida Air National Guard. The issues of service connection for cervical spine disability, sinus disability (including sinusitis), left ankle disability, and fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome) are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate prior VA examinations. The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are being evaluated again with new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, did not render him unable to obtain and maintain a substantially gainful occupation before March 27, 2019. After that date, his non-PTSD disabilities also did not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disability and left upper extremity disability due to lack of adequate consideration of his lay statements and failure to address relevant medical evidence. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine strain does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.,The Veteran's cervical spine strain requires further examination to determine its current severity.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability because of service-connected disabilities, finding that there is no evidence showing that his service-connected conditions prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.