The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine condition, finding that the evidence did not establish it was incurred or aggravated by service. The claimant's current diagnosis of cervical strain and degenerative arthritis is attributed to an in-service injury but not related to her service-connected right shoulder disability.,Service connection for OSA was also denied as there is no evidence linking it to service, with the examiner noting that chronic tonsillitis during service does not increase risk for developing sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to establish a direct or secondary relationship between the Veteran's cervical spine condition and her service. The VA examiners concluded that the current cervical strain is less likely due to military service, including as secondary to her right shoulder disability.,For OSA, the examiner noted that chronic tonsillitis during service does not increase risk for developing sleep apnea, and there was no evidence of a diagnosis or treatment related to OSA in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine condition, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21064429
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21064429.
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