Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, finding that his current condition is related to his in-service back injuries and persistent symptoms since then.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, back disorder, left eye disorder, and right eye disorder due to missing VA treatment records and need for addendum opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right deltoid ligament sprain and service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for service connection for a back disability is remanded due to inadequate opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations of the appellant's cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a back disorder and macular degeneration, but denied them on the merits. The evidence submitted since the last final denial does not establish a nexus between current disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. Further examination is required to determine if any diagnosed disorders are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for mechanical low back pain and peripheral vestibular disorders (dizziness) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic oral antral sinus fistula.,Service connection was not granted for either condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and lack of consideration of certain theories of service connection, particularly regarding herbicide exposure. The Veteran's low back condition and peripheral neuropathy are being reviewed for possible connections to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for a lumbar spine disability and entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded because of inadequate medication examinations that did not properly address the impact of the Veteran’s reported flare-ups in his determination of an increased rating.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, including degenerative arthritis of the spine, finding that there is no evidence linking the current condition to service. The Veteran's STRs show some injuries during service but no ongoing issues were noted until years after discharge.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, and a bilateral wrist disability. The Veteran will be afforded VA examinations in order to determine if her conditions are related to service.

The Board has dismissed all the claims for service connection due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete STRs and need for new VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, which required a total knee arthroplasty in December 2014, is as likely as not caused by his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased disability ratings have been withdrawn. The Board has also dismissed the appeal of his earlier effective date claim for tinea pedis.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability and a sciatic nerve disability, right lower extremity as the appellant's periods of service were under other than honorable conditions due to his Bad Conduct Discharge.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine with compression L1 and retrolisthesis L2 and L3, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between the current disability and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc and facet arthritis was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the awards of a 20 percent rating for service-connected low back disability and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability. However, both claims are remanded due to the need for updated medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a dental disorder, anxiety, and back disability are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of updated regulations.