Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Veteran's pes planus was not rated higher than 0 percent from February 2010 to December 1, 2014. From December 2, 2014 to October 11, 2015, the Veteran's pes planus was rated at 10 percent and from October 12, 2015, it was rated at 30 percent.,The Veteran's lower back condition has not been established as a current disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability did not manifest in service or within the first post-service year, nor is it otherwise related to service. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was not caused by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA medical records. The issues of entitlement to an increased disability rating for a back disability and entitlement to TDIU are on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability is not service connected and denied his claim for secondary service connection based on his service-connected ankle and knee conditions.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions have been granted. The disabilities are considered direct service connections.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate, and a new examination is required to determine if the Veteran's joint pain and back disability are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic low back disability, claimed as residuals of a low back injury, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, including degenerative disc disease (DDD), and whether it is related to service-connected thoracic spine disability. The case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's chronic low back strain has been rated at 40 percent disabling after August 2014, the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for lumbosacral spine disability was granted, with the highest possible evaluation of 40 percent assigned. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is pending and not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and examinations to address the Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease L5-S1 with spondylolysis and right knee strain.

The Veteran's low back and cervical spine disabilities have been granted increased initial ratings of 10 percent each, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has ordered additional development of the record to determine if the Veteran currently has a chronic back or neck disability, and whether any such disabilities are related to his service. The case is remanded for further action.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease has been rated at 20 percent since March 28, 2014. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right eye disability and back disorder are not related to service, with clear and unmistakable evidence showing that a preexisting right eye condition existed prior to service. The Board also found no aggravation of the preexisting right eye condition during service. For the back disorder, there is no direct evidence linking it to service or any other compensable disease or injury. There is also no secondary service connection as the Veteran's current back disability did not manifest within one year of separation from service and arthritis was not shown within a presumptive period.

The Veteran withdrew his claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has found that more development is necessary prior to final adjudication of the claims on appeal, including VA examinations for the Veteran's lumbar spine and headache disabilities. The case is REMANDED for these purposes.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left shoulder disability do not warrant increased ratings under the applicable rating criteria. The current 60 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability is considered higher than any other appropriate scenario, and a 10 percent rating for the left shoulder disability remains unchanged.