Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for various joints and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar disc disease at L4-5 is as likely as not related to his active duty military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Travel Board hearing as requested. The issues of service connection for a lower back disability and TDIU are not addressed further due to the pending remand.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and left knee gout are being remanded due to incomplete examinations and need further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder was denied in June 2003. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim. Her left knee disorder is currently rated at 20 percent, but she has mild instability warranting an additional 10 percent rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability resulting from service-connected disabilities was remanded by the Court. The effective date of his TDIU award is May 2, 2005.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's ability to secure and maintain gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to address continuity of symptomatology and etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and need for further examination. The claims will be reviewed again after the necessary steps are taken.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, but the Board found new and material evidence to reopen his low back and bilateral pes planus claims. The issues of increased PTSD and right knee ratings, as well as a temporary total rating due to surgical convalescence, remain unresolved.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disorder during the Veteran's first period of service and insufficient continuity of symptoms to establish a current disability. For his second period of service, there was no indication of a cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spondylosis with spinal stenosis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional development of the record.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for PTSD, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening or establishing these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and is now being reviewed on the merits.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is now being reviewed on the merits.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities has been reopened and is now being reviewed on the merits.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate condition, ganglion cysts (right foot and left wrist), degenerative joint disease (upper and lower extremities), back condition, and sleep apnea secondary to PTSD are all pending and will be remanded for further review.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic low back disability in service or within one year after discharge, and the Veteran's current low back disability is not linked to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted based on the evidence.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.