Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and providing a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected low back disability and bilateral lower extremity neurological disability.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder as there was no evidence of an in-service injury and the current condition is not related to service.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for low back strain with degenerative changes was denied. The Board found that the disability did not result in unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome lasting six weeks or longer.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and determining the exact dates of his active duty. The claims for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right foot metatarsalgia, cervical spine disability, chronic myositis of the paracervical spine muscles, left shoulder disability, left arm disability, lumbar spine disability, chronic myositis of the paralumbar spine muscles, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded. The claim for acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD) is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for high cholesterol, low back disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome, and depression due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Board has granted a 20% disability rating for the service-connected low back disability effective June 22, 2007. The claim was originally filed on that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current back condition and his military service.

The Veteran's motion for CUE review of a 1987 Board decision is dismissed as the motion has been withdrawn.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee tricompartmental degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine disability (DDD, degenerative spondylolisthesis, IVDS, arachnoiditis of the cauda equina, and multilevel disc bulging with neural foraminal narrowing), and cervical spine disability (cervical myelopathy, status post C4-5, C5-6 discectomy and fusion, and multilevel degenerative and discogenic disease with neural foraminal narrowing and spinal canal narrowing) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.,The Board found that there is a causal relationship between the Veteran’s service-connected right knee disability and his thoracolumbar spine disability (DDD, degenerative spondylolisthesis, IVDS, arachnoiditis of the cauda equina, and multilevel disc bulging with neural foraminal narrowing) and cervical spine disability (cervical myelopathy, status post C4-5, C5-6 discectomy and fusion, and multilevel degenerative and discogenic disease with neural foraminal narrowing and spinal canal narrowing).

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, including disc displacement with subluxation, as it is related to the Veteran's in-service injury.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of hysterectomy with scar and remanded the issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease lumbar spine without radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was originally denied in 1983, and the effective date of this decision is May 14, 2013. The Board found that an earlier effective date cannot be granted as the Veteran did not appeal the denial in 1983.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic headaches and major depressive disorder. The remaining issues have been remanded due to the need for further medical examination and evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for various knee and ankle disorders, as well as a lumbar spine disorder. The VA is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from the San Juan VAMC, and schedule an examination by an appropriate clinician to address the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for gout and remanded the issue of service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his low back disability, finding that the preexisting condition did not worsen during ACDUTRA and there was no direct evidence linking it to active duty.

The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis with DDD is rated at 40% effective April 11, 2018. The left sciatic radiculopathy remains at a 10% rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for chronic low back strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete information regarding ankylosis of the spine, as well as the need for updated treatment records and a more detailed examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.