The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 11, 2019 for the grant of service connection for cervical arthritis, stenosis, and myelopathy. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is denied due to lack of evidence supporting a causal relationship with service-connected conditions or other factors.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that there was no credible medical evidence linking the Veteran's OSA to his service-connected disabilities, obesity, or any other factor. The Board gave more probative weight to these negative nexus opinions and concluded that OSA is not due to or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical arthritis, Stenosis, Myelopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017741
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 A26017741.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine with stenosis due to a duty-to-assist error. Additional development is needed, including obtaining an adequate opinion from a VA examiner.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, degenerative disc disease, and stenosis are granted. Claims for diverticulitis, diabetes mellitus, flat feet (pes planus), traumatic brain injury, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep apnea, hypertension, a right-hand condition, a left-hand condition, TBI residuals of headaches, loss of taste and smell, and dizziness are denied. The Veteran is granted a 10 percent disability rating for TMJ prior to November 18, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for cervical and lumbosacral strain, as well as service connection for various spinal conditions and radiculopathies. Additional development is required to address the issues on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to ambiguity in medical opinions regarding the cause and aggravation of the Veteran's sciatic nerve disability. The new opinion is needed to address whether the May 2009 cervical decompressive laminectomy caused or aggravated any existing right lower extremity disabilities.
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