Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing service treatment records, and further development is needed before a final decision can be made.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board will address the issues on remand.

The Veteran's spouse requires assistance with daily activities and is unable to dress or undress herself, requiring regular aid and attendance. The case has been remanded for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back condition is causally related to his service and grants service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbosacral strain, chest pain due to undiagnosed illness, and reactive airway disease due to undiagnosed illness, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 25, 1999. Effective April 25, 1999, the Veteran was found unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a low back disorder, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee osteoarthritis. The Board has ordered remand due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing whether the bilateral knee osteoarthritis caused or aggravated the low back disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is mixed, with some issues granted and others not. The initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied, but the claims for service connection for spina bifida occulta with osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine and hypertension were partially reopened.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including consideration of a TDIU prior to May 1, 2009. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings and TDIU will be addressed together.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lower back disability is not related to service and has denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hip, low back, and ankle disorders are not related to his service-connected knee disabilities. The maximum rating for his knee conditions has already been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a low back disorder, finding that there was no direct evidence of these conditions during his active service or within one year of separation.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 40 percent rating for his low back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to secondary to GERD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disorder and a neck disorder are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide supplemental opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded as well. The examiner must convert the audiometric test results from ASA to ISO units, discuss the significance of changes in auditory thresholds shown in 1960, 1963 and 1964 when converted to ISO units, and address the likelihood that in-service noise exposure caused chronic hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disorder is being remanded as well. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any currently diagnosed neck disorder was caused or aggravated by his service-connected fractured left zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC).,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any currently diagnosed lumbar spine disorder was caused or aggravated by his service-connected fractured left zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC).,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder, to include as due to a neck disorder and/or fractured left zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC) is being remanded. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any currently diagnosed left shoulder disorder was caused or aggravated by his service-connected fractured left zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC).,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for the fractured left zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC) prior to January 13, 2016, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter is being remanded. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any currently diagnosed fracture residuals were caused or aggravated by his service-connected fractured left zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation in the applicable period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with a history of shell fragment wound to Muscle Group (MG) XX. The claim will be returned to the AOJ after this development is completed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA/VA treatment records.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding the issue of an increased rating for thoracic strain with elements of lumbar spine pain, currently rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability as a result of service-connected disabilities was denied due to his failure to report for a necessary VA examination.