Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2016

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not related to his military service and denied both his claim for service connection and his request for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is not etiologically related to his service, including a ruptured rectus femoralis muscle during service and his MOS duties as a physical therapy specialist.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as he did not provide evidence of a current disability or link to service. The Board found no evidence of undiagnosed illnesses or medically unexplained multisymptom illnesses.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service-connected cervical sprain with degenerative disc disease resulted in forward flexion of the cervical spine to 15 degrees or less, warranting a 30 percent rating since September 16, 2008.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including an addendum opinion regarding neurological impairment and consideration of extraschedular TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left knee disabilities were not incurred in or related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying periods of active duty training and inactive duty training, scheduling a VA examination to determine if any current low back disability is related to service, and readjudicating the claim.

The Board has determined that there is a relationship between the Veteran's current back disorder and his service-connected left knee disability, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's back disability has been rated at 20 percent since April 6, 2015. The Board found that the combined disability ratings for his service-connected disabilities meet the minimum combined rating criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) (2015) for eligibility to a TDIU from February 9, 2015.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied, as his condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating. The effective date for service connection was also denied due to lack of evidence showing entitlement arose within one year after separation from active duty.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a right knee injury, a right leg disorder, and a left leg disorder. The claim for low back disorder was reopened but not adjudicated.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorder and low back disorder are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his in-service concussion injury.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased rating for migraine headaches is also being remanded due to incomplete records from his former employer.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional records and provide an examination, as well as to attempt to clarify the Veteran's service connection claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder was denied in September 1972, and the Board has now granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain has been rated as 10 percent disabling since October 1, 2007. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating at any time during the period on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease warrants an initial 20 percent rating, but no higher, throughout the appeal period.

The Board denied a higher evaluation for the Veteran's back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and denied an effective date earlier than August 28, 2014, for the award of compensation for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to obtain medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's back disability and/or psychiatric disability are related to his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining recent treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disorder, migraine headaches, and right ankle disorder. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent evidence of a current disability related to service.