Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, increased rating for left knee disability, and earlier effective date for right knee disability are all pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The decision also denied entitlement to SMC at the housebound rate as there was no single disability rated as 100% disabling or a TDIU rating based on multiple disabilities.

The Veteran's bowel incontinence is found to be at least as likely as not caused by her service-connected lumbar disc disease. The numbness and tingling of the left and right upper extremities are also found to be at least as likely as not caused by her service-connected lumbar disc disease.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine has been denied as there is no evidence linking it to his military service.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction, claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus II with hypertensive heart disease and PTSD, has also been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's current condition does not have a direct link to his active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his period of active service or to any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent effective from December 10, 2016. The rating reflects the severity of his condition as ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorder did not have its onset in service, was not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service, and is not otherwise related to service. As such, the claim for service connection for a low back disorder was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his occupational functioning. The issue of entitlement to an extraschedular rating will also be remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has not been manifested by forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine, or incapacitating episodes lasting a total duration of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the last 12 months. Therefore, his claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for DDD of the lumbar spine with DJD is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's back disability was not incurred in service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected condition. The evidence does not establish an in-service injury, continuity of symptomatology since service discharge, or a nexus between the current disability and service.

The Veteran's degenerative disc space narrowing of the lumbar spine is rated at 40 percent effective September 21, 2015. Her left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back condition is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for a low back disability with scoliosis.

The Veteran's service-connected low back strain did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment before April 25, 2000.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment for the period from July 24, 2007, to February 14, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to Agent Orange at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Additionally, a VA examination is needed to determine if his prostatitis is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected right shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected back condition and consideration of his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his low back strain disorder and whether any diagnosed femoral nerve involvement or other neurological disability is related to his service-connected lumbar strain disorder.

The Veteran's arthritis of the thoracic and lumbar spine has not resulted in favorable ankylosis or forward flexion of less than 30 degrees, thus preventing a higher evaluation.