Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for gouty arthritis of the left ankle, osteoarthritis of the left knee, and mild anterior wedging of L1 with disc space narrowing of the lumbar spine at L1-L4 were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, and a TDIU effective from December 9, 2010. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran’s current sleep apnea to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is currently rated at 10 percent, and the claim for an increased rating has been denied.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine were found to have manifested within one year of her separation from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for his low back disability was denied, and he is now rated at a 10 percent disability rating. The decision also granted separate ratings of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and 10 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a cervical spine disability, effective date for tinnitus and thoracolumbar spine strain awards, and increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The claims for service connection, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, and TDIU are all remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's back disorder may be related to service, but more information is needed. Her PTSD symptoms also require additional evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine and bilateral hip disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot disability.,Service connection for a right foot disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the need for additional examinations and treatment records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection on all issues, including right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, residuals of a neck injury, and bilateral hernias.

The Board has found insufficient evidence to decide the claim and has remanded for a new medical opinion.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for a right knee condition, right ankle condition, GERD, and lower back condition are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left hip disability and low back disability (secondary to left hip disability) due to insufficient evidence in the May 2016 VA examination report. The Veteran's lay statements will be considered, as well as his in-service duties.

The Veteran's chronic low back strain is currently rated at 40 percent, effective October 9, 2017.

The Board has determined that an effective date prior to April 25, 2011 for the award of additional dependency allowance for the Veteran's spouse is not warranted.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a low back disability secondary to service-connected knee disabilities and increased ratings for PFS and DJD of the right and left knees. The Veteran's claims will be further evaluated with new examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his service-connected degenerative disease of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to inadequate examination and missing VA treatment records. A new examination will be scheduled to assess the severity of his back disability.

The Veteran's cervical spine arthritis is not service connected as there was no in-service diagnosis and the condition did not manifest within one year of discharge.,Bilateral hearing loss cannot be service-connected due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board has ordered new examinations for the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss disabilities due to potential changes in their severity since the last evaluations. The claims are also remanded for a VA audiological examination to determine if the Veteran’s hearing loss disability is related to service.