Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.,The Veteran was granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from November 8, 2011.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck and right shoulder disabilities due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a left wrist disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder impingement syndrome. The claims of service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and obstructive sleep apnea disabilities are remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding service connection for sleep apnea due to the appellant's representative withdrawing the issue at a hearing.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for GERD has been remanded due to lack of recent in-person examination documentation.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder disability, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy claims are being remanded as the VA examinations were inadequate.,ED is secondary to service-connected conditions including medications taken for other disabilities.

The Veteran's left upper extremity radiculopathy was initially rated at 20 percent prior to September 15, 2016 and then increased to 30 percent from that date onwards. A TDIU was granted effective July 24, 2018 due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities. Prior to this, a 20 percent rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical strain and lumbar strain have been granted earlier effective dates of July 9, 2010.,Service connection for a left shoulder disability has been granted. The Board finds the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current left shoulder rotator cuff issues and degenerative joint disease are due to repetitive-use injuries during active service.,The Veteran's service-connected right hip, right thigh, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities have been remanded for clarification of the July 2021 private opinion regarding obesity as an intermediate step. The examiner must provide a rationale addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, and if so, whether the obesity was a substantial factor in causing the claimed bilateral ankle, right hip, or right thigh conditions.,The Veteran's service-connected left hand disability has been remanded for an opinion on secondary service connection. The examiner must address both causation and aggravation to be deemed adequate. If aggravation is found, the examiner should attempt to quantify the degree of additional disability resulting from the aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder disorder, cervical condition, and hypertension due to a procedural issue with the docketing of his appeal under the legacy review system.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent prior to January 23, 2018 and 10 percent thereafter. The Veteran's gastritis with hiatal hernia is rated at 10 percent prior to May 19, 2022.,The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period before January 23, 2018 remains pending.

The Board has determined that the claims for increased ratings of cervical spine degenerative disc disease and left upper extremity radiculopathy are inextricably intertwined with the claim for increased rating of a cervical spine disability. Therefore, these claims must be remanded to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the severity of the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various disabilities, including cervical spine, right shoulder, left knee, and right ankle conditions. The issues are related to whether these conditions were caused or worsened by his military service.

The Veteran's right little finger disability is granted service connection as it is presumed to have occurred during his military service. The low back and neck disabilities are denied as there is no evidence they began during or were caused by his military service. The foot disability (pes planus and plantar fasciitis) is also denied, with the examiner concluding it is more likely due to advancing age rather than being aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine and low back disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service records indicate he was injured in-service, which may be relevant to his current conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher, for the period prior to June 20, 2018. A rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee and neck disabilities due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, left arm radiculopathy, right arm radiculopathy, and neurogenic bladder disability are all granted with specific ratings. The effective date for service connection of the left arm radiculopathy is set at August 19, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to an administrative error in submitting a modernized review system form instead of a legacy one. The Veteran must file a timely VA Form 9 if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his cervical spine disability as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral foot, and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence supporting a causal relationship between these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for neck pain, diagnosed as arthritis of the cervical spine and OSA. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck disability, including degenerative arthritis, cervical stenosis, cervical fusion with residual pain, and left upper extremity radiculopathy. Service connection was also granted for chronic lumbar strain.