Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new examinations and consideration of his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine DDD, left knee osteoarthropathy, and right knee osteoarthropathy as secondary to his service-connected hip fracture and replacement.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule new VA examinations for his service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity, and right hip disabilities. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee was reopened due to new and material evidence, and it is now granted.,Service connection for a right knee disability remains denied as there is no established link between current symptoms and service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete medical records and need for new VA examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board found the evidence insufficient to establish a link between his current lung disability and service exposure to diesel fumes and acetone while maintaining generators.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and low back disabilities, as well as his right and left leg sciatic neuropathies, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining FMLA records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected low back and cervical spine disabilities; hypertension and plantar fasciitis of the left and right feet.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the need for updated VA examinations and treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is likely due to service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in an employment handicap, and therefore she does not meet the criteria for vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31 of Title 38 U.S.C.A.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a neck disability and granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the condition is attributable to military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and potential SSA records, which may be relevant to the Veteran's claim. The appeal will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 10 percent each, effective October 1, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral and cervical spine conditions are not related to his service-connected left knee disability, and therefore, denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back and groin conditions are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his in-service injuries and his current disabilities.,VA examination revealed degenerative changes throughout the Veteran's spine but did not specifically link these to his in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including referral to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of Compensation and Pension Services for consideration of assignment of an extraschedular TDIU rating. The claim will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was dismissed as moot due to the assignment of a total schedular rating prior to his becoming unemployable.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinion is necessary to address the question of etiology for the Veteran's HTN. Clarification is also needed as to the VA examiner's July 2012 opinion regarding the cervical spine disorder.