Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate examination and incomplete records. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further adjudication.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of various conditions, including a low back disability, has been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence, including private treatment records and an addendum to the VA examination report.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability, claimed as secondary to service-connected right knee bursitis, is not proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected condition. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a condition of the right hand, wrist, and fingers as secondary to service-connected right elbow disability. The Veteran's other claims are either denied or require further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is service-connected, but his back disability cannot be linked to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disorder, identified as patellofemoral pain syndrome, is related to his period of service and granted service connection for this condition. The remaining issues regarding increased evaluations for right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and chronic sinusitis are pending.

The Board has determined that it is at least as likely as not that the appellant's current chronic sinusitis had its onset during his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for postoperative degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, postoperative residuals of a right knee injury, and eczema have been denied. The VA has not found sufficient evidence to grant any of these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected back and neck disabilities have been rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher initial evaluation for either disability during the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and fibromyalgia, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service. The low back disability is considered secondary to his service-connected cervical spine arthritis, while fibromyalgia is found to be secondary to his service-connected depression.

The Veteran is in receipt of compensation for a permanent and total service-connected disability due to post-surgical fusion lumbosacral spine with minor compression deformity at T7 and T9, which so affects the functions of balance or propulsion as to preclude locomotion without the aid of crutches, canes and/or a wheelchair. As such, he is entitled to a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical evidence and unclear opinions from previous VA examinations.

The Board has found that further development is needed for VA to fulfill its duties mandated under the VCAA, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a spine examination of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current disability is directly related to her in-service injury. The claims for left elbow and left hand disorders are not supported by the evidence presented.

The Veteran's low back disorder was found to be less than 30 degrees of forward flexion, warranting a rating in excess of 20 percent. The claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board finds that the appellant does not have a chronic lower back disability or arthritis that is related to his military service. The VA examination revealed no evidence of such conditions, and the examiner concluded that any symptoms were due to congenital short leg syndrome rather than service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining inpatient clinical records from Jacksonville Naval Hospital and Boca Chica sick bay, conducting a VA examination to determine the etiology of any diagnosed low back disorder, and scheduling another VA examination with a pulmonology specialist to address the relationship between service and current lung disorders.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and TDIU, finding that the Veteran's current back disabilities were not related to his active duty service or service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for degenerative changes at T12 and lumbar degenerative disc disease are being remanded due to the need for a more recent VA examination.