Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no current disability. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's current condition was not related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, and back disorder due to lack of evidence showing a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability, which first manifested several years after his separation from service, was not incurred in service or related to an in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, also did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is not ready for adjudication by the Board due to incomplete review and a need for issuance of a supplemental statement of the case. The Veteran should be scheduled for a hearing with a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right knee replacement, bilateral hip disability, and left foot disability have been denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for his hearing loss, nor does he meet the criteria for TDIU.,Service connection has also been denied for the Veteran's right knee replacement, bilateral hip disability, and left foot disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and right hip disabilities did not have their onset during service or are otherwise related to his in-service injuries, and thus denied service connection for those conditions on a direct basis. The Board also found that there was no evidence of secondary service connection based on the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lumbar strain and left sacroiliac strain, assigning a 10 percent disability rating effective September 18, 2008.

The Veteran's service-connected multilevel degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are all rated at their maximum levels. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, anxiety, and depressive disorder, is not related to service or a service-connected disability.,The Veteran has a current back disability, to include degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, but it did not become manifest within one year after service separation.

The Veteran's claim for a temporary total rating due to bilateral surgical fasciotomies is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of her lower leg symptoms or compartment syndrome.

The Board found no evidence of a low back or cervical spine disability in service and concluded that the current disabilities are not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and schizophrenia, as well as constipation, GERD, sleep apnea, and CAD. The rating assigned is 100% for the seizure disability from October 6, 2014 onwards.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's back disability, specifically addressing whether it is related to his military service. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to a single disability alone, and he is already rated at 100% disabling.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is service connected. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral ankle, knee, shoulder, and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has granted an increased disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease and sciatic nerve radiculitis of the right lower extremity, effective from June 29, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and an earlier effective date for jungle rot were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his active service, and there was no evidence of CUE in prior decisions.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was found to not warrant increased ratings prior to June 4, 2013 and beginning June 4, 2013. The current disability rating for the condition remains at 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disorder and considering whether service connection can be granted based on the evidence presented.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and cervical spine disabilities, finding that there is no nexus between these conditions and his military service. The claim for bilateral knee disability was rendered moot due to a grant of service connection in a previous decision, and the claim for bilateral ankle disability was also rendered moot as it was not addressed by the Board's decision.