Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has ordered remand for the Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis of the low back, sciatica of the left lower extremity, and sciatica of the right lower extremity. The remand requires a new VA examination to address whether these conditions are related to military service or her service-connected low back strain, including an opinion on aggravation.

The Veteran's period of service from November 3, 1965 to April 24, 1970 is considered a bar due to his AWOL for over 180 days.,Claims for service connection were denied for various conditions including low back disability, ischemic heart disease, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, and a circulation disorder. The Veteran's current conditions were not related to his in-service conditions.,There is no probative medical evidence linking the Veteran’s current disabilities to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service noise exposure are considered, but a new VA examination is needed to address these claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and a back disorder. The claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions, as well as the severity of his left knee disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic criteria.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, low back/lumbar condition, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The denial was based on the lack of evidence showing that his conditions were aggravated by military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed low back and leg conditions. The claims will be reconsidered after obtaining additional information from the Veteran and providing further examination.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine as there was no evidence of an in-service injury and the Veteran did not show continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the cases of cervical and thoracolumbar spine disorders due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's service records indicate back pain in service, but VA treatment records are inactive after three years post-service.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 16, 2005 for the award of service connection for a back disorder. The Veteran's claim was not previously denied and he filed an informal claim on that date.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for numbness of the left hand and right upper extremity disability have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded his claim for service connection for mid-back pain.

The Board has determined that more contemporaneous examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and back disabilities due to outdated examination reports. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating and TDIU have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection of right knee disorder, back disorder, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and skin disorder are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their onset in service or causation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate examinations and failure to address additional functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracic and lumbosacral strain began during his military service, resolving any doubt in favor of the Veteran. As a result, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hip, back, and right knee disabilities due to insufficient examination findings and lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion is inadequate and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran's back condition began during service or is related to an incident of service.