Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for his low back disability will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back disability, as the September 2012 VA examiner's opinion regarding the claimed condition was inadequate.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, verify stressor events, and provide new VA examinations for his psychiatric disorder and lumbar spine condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck condition. The claim of service connection for prostate cancer is reopened, but further development is needed to determine if new and material evidence has been received.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for a left-sided varicocele is dismissed. The Board finds in favor of the Veteran on his claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that he has experienced continuity of low back symptomatology since service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left ankle injury in service caused his current chronic left ankle pain. The back disability is not directly related to service, but may be an indirect result of altered weight-bearing and asymmetric gait due to the original service-connected ankle injury.

The Board has determined that service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, low back disability, and hypertension are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's 40 percent disability rating for degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine, was restored as there was material improvement in the disability under the ordinary conditions of life.,The Veteran is entitled to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for limitation of flexion due to left lateral epicondylitis and right lateral epicondylitis from June 10, 2008, to January 16, 2013.

The Veteran's bilateral knee condition is found to be related to service and granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for headaches, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction were denied as they are not related to service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection was denied for the lumbar spine disability due to lack of evidence showing aggravation during service. The reopened claim was also denied because there is no indication that the current condition is related to service or a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability claim was denied as there is no indication in the record that it is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including lung disability, bilateral knee and hip disabilities, low back disability, neck disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and depressive disorder. The new evidence supports reopening these claims.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease was not incurred during active duty and is not otherwise related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied across multiple issues, including PTSD, cervical spine disability, right and left knee disabilities, thoracolumbar spine disability, tinnitus (hearing loss), right hand 5th metacarpal fracture, right foot heel spur, scars of the hands and knees, dermatitis of the feet, and tension headaches. The appeal was not about service connection for any conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his low back disability and a TDIU rating have been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's initial 50 percent rating for residuals of a hysterectomy was reduced to 30 percent effective February 1, 2015 due to clear and unmistakable error. The Veteran is now entitled to restoration of the 50 percent rating.,For the entire rating period, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability approximated a 40 percent rating based on limitation of motion and functional loss due to pain, with consideration of flare-ups and lack of endurance. An initial 50 percent rating is granted for this condition.,The acquired psychiatric disorder has not met the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's low back disability and generalized arthritis of the joints are not service-connected as they did not manifest within one year of separation from service. The Board finds no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service. Liver disease, however, is service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and cervical spine disorders are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's back disability was rated at 10 percent prior to November 1, 2016 and at 20 percent since then. The right shoulder disorder has been rated at 20 percent throughout the appeal period. The left knee strain has also been rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability was found to meet the criteria for a minimum compensable rating (10%) prior to March 25, 2008.