Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases due to the Veteran's inability to attend VA spine examinations, and requests for medical opinions regarding his thoracolumbar and cervical spine disorders.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an increased rating of 70 percent effective June 26, 2019.,Service connection for hypertension is denied. The Veteran's new and material evidence has reopened the claim, but service connection remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and lack of compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine disability, claimed as degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis and neck condition, is being returned to the AOJ for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, or reopening of previously denied claims have been granted. The case is remanded for further development on some issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions regarding whether his service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his claimed conditions. The issues include sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, multilevel degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, basal cell carcinoma, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability has not been manifested by unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 4 weeks or more in a 12-month period, or additional functional loss sufficient to warrant additional compensation. As such, his claim for increased ratings is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period from February 13, 2011 to March 29, 2012 due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and sacroiliac joint dysfunction have been granted. The claim for cervical neck disability is remanded, as are the requests for increased ratings for right knee and right hip disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and radiculopathies were granted increased ratings, with the cervical spine disability receiving a 20% rating prior to April 1, 2022, and a 30% rating since then. The right upper extremity radiculopathy received a 40% rating since April 1, 2022, and the left upper extremity radiculopathy received a 30% rating since that date. TDIU was also granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for myofascial spastic pain disorder was dismissed because the claim was granted in full, with service connection now established for lumbosacral strain associated with degenerative arthritis and myofascial pain syndrome, as well as cervical strain associated with degenerative arthritis and myofascial pain syndrome.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder and remanded the issues of service connection for allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea, as well as their relationship to each other.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is granted as service connected due to an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the cervical spine and right shoulder conditions, so the Board dismissed these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating and TDIU due to a duty to assist error in the previous VA examination, which did not adequately consider all of the Veteran's symptomology associated with his cervical spine disability. The issues are also considered inextricably intertwined.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for cervical spine degenerative disc/joint disease and TDIU based on a single service-connected disability for purposes of special monthly compensation (SMC) pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, thoracic spine, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions. The Veteran's current conditions are considered to be the result of normal aging processes.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's cervical spine disability is proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and recurrent cervical strain have been granted service connection, with a rating of 40% for the lumbar disability and denied for a higher rating for the cervical disability. The Veteran has also been awarded Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective November 4, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. Service connection was granted for fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD, but remanded for further development regarding this condition.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to insufficient evidence linking them to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to determine the severity of his service-connected back and neck disabilities, including whether there is evidence of functional ankylosis during flare-ups.