Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain medical records and ensure the Veteran's claims are properly adjudicated. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease with spondylolysis was incurred during active duty service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right greater trochanteric bursitis (right hip disorder) is pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a chronic lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, clarifying the location of his hospitalizations, and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar spondylolisthesis and spondylitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, a new examination, and issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's low back and left wrist disabilities, as well as scheduling a VA examination to determine their etiology. The issues of service connection are still pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the January 2011 VA examination and medical opinion is inadequate because it did not address the aggravation aspect of secondary service connection. The case is therefore being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected shrapnel wounds aggravated his lumbar spine arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of service in the Texas Army National Guard and an inadequate opinion from the April 2011 VA examiner. The Veteran's low back disability is related to active service or a period of ACDUTRA, but further development is needed.

The Veteran's low back disability was initially rated as non-compensable prior to April 16, 2012. Beginning September 18, 2014, the disability is rated at 10 percent based on limitation of motion.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), residuals of a skin condition of the left arm, or chronic fatigue syndrome that were incurred in service. The Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal seeks an earlier effective date for dependency benefits, but the Board finds that no such effective date is warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and VA treatment records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine the nature and etiology of any lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, effectively dismissing his claims for increased ratings for a back disability and left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an opinion from a VA physician regarding the Veteran's claimed low back disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine at a hearing. The case is being remanded for further examination and development regarding service connection for a left hand disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and left knee disorders are not related to service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has vacated its September 2012 decision regarding the effective date for service connection of prostate cancer and denied all other claims. The Veteran's prostate cancer was not granted earlier than September 5, 2002, as he did not submit a claim prior to that date.