Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is related to her active duty service and has granted her claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not manifest within one year of his separation from service and were not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection claims related to his acquired psychiatric disorder, low back disorder, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral foot disability. His cervical spine and right thumb disabilities were evaluated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a bilateral foot disability, low back disability, or shrapnel retained in head that were incurred during his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination to assess the severity of his low back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a travel board hearing and to address the hypertension claim, as it may affect the adjudication of this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for L-4 and L5-S1 disc protrusions and severe spinal canal stenosis with left lumbar radiculopathy, as well as residuals of removal of the right testicle due to a benign mature cystic teratoma. The Veteran's claims for his bilateral shoulder disorders are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis of the cervical spine due to a lack of timely Substantive Appeal. The Board also found that there is sufficient evidence to support the grant of service connection for herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbosacral spine with left lower extremity radiculopathy and right knee strain.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for back disability and found that new evidence supports a finding that his current back disability is related to an in-service injury. The Board also found no evidence linking his left ear hearing loss to service.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, floor of the mouth, and head and neck, lumbar spine disability, pain radiating into bilateral lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between any current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and right shoulder disabilities were not found to be related to his military service. The left shoulder surgery was performed due to a fall, but the Veteran does not meet criteria for a temporary total rating based on convalescence or an increased rating.

The Board granted a 50 percent disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder effective December 9, 2015 and remanded the claims of service connection for arterial hypertension and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, or for adaptive equipment only, is denied as he does not meet the criteria for 'permanent loss of use of one or both feet' within the context of 38 C.F.R. § 3.808.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his low back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease was incurred during his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is denied as there is no current medical diagnosis of PTSD and the evidence does not support a finding that his current psychiatric condition is related to his period of active service. His claim for an increased disability rating for lumbar strain is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his left and right knee disabilities, as well as his low back disability. The issues regarding increased ratings will be reconsidered based on the results of this examination.