Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claim for a low back disability, but has remanded her claims for left hip and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, a rating in excess of 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability, an increased rating for tinnitus, and a compensable rating for a lumbar spine scar. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disorder and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the low back disorder claim and concluding that there is no medical or credible lay evidence linking the tinnitus to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left foot disability, ovarian cyst, sinusitis, arthritis, abdominal pain, chest pain, low back disability with radiculopathy of the lower extremities, sleep apnea, neuroma of the left foot, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and anemia. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's low back disorder may be related to his service-connected psychiatric disorder, but there are issues with the current medical opinions provided. The case is being remanded for further evaluation and a new opinion from a qualified VA examiner.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle condition, left foot surgery with scar, low back condition, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral hip condition. The claim for mandibular hypoplasia is also remanded as it requires further examination to determine if any diagnosed conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for low back condition as new and material evidence was not presented, and the current condition is not related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia disorder, and sleep apnea is denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for insomnia disorder is denied because the evidence does not establish a link between the condition and service. The Veteran’s insomnia is found to be related to his Gulf War exposure but not directly caused by it.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a stomach disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board grants this issue.,The Veteran's claims regarding sleep apnea, right knee disabilities, left knee disabilities, right foot hallux valgus, left foot hallux valgus, lumbar paravertebral fibromyositis, and anxiety disorder are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disorder was granted, and he is now in receipt of an initial evaluation.,Service connection for his right shoulder surgery with rotator cuff tear was denied. However, from March 10, 2017, he received a higher evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and remanded the claims for low back, bilateral hip, left knee, and headaches/migraines disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on various conditions were dismissed. The appeal regarding PTSD was granted with a TDIU rating since April 7, 2016.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for low back and left hip disabilities, but finds that further development is needed due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities related to the claimed conditions, or that these conditions are due to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and headaches due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's arthritis, including bilateral hip degenerative joint disease, was not shown to be related to service.,The low back condition did not manifest in-service or within one year of separation and is not linked to service.

The case is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence and a medical opinion not previously considered by the AOJ.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's knee and lumbar conditions and her service. Additional examinations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for low back disability, bilateral ankle condition, bilateral knee/leg condition, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy. The Veteran's right shoulder strain, GERD, and bilateral foot condition are also remanded.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran’s claimed conditions due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking them to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and a missed VA examination. The Veteran's back disability is being reviewed again for possible service connection.