Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's spinal disability was manifested by painful motion from January 2004 to March 2007, but there is no objective evidence showing that he met the criteria for a higher disability evaluation prior to his March 2007 surgery. As such, the claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of any unadjudicated formal or informal claim prior to July 5, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion and the need for new evidence. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with a new medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of a brain tumor, and the lumbar spine disability was not productive of incapacitating episodes or ankylosis as required for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left wrist/hand disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea. The issues of an increased rating for lumbar strain and sciatic nerve radiculopathy, as well as TDIU, are pending.

The Veteran's PTSD is due to military sexual trauma experienced during her service, and the Board finds that service connection for PTSD has been met.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, to include degenerative disc disease, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to active or Reserve service.

The Veteran's upper back strain and lumbar facet arthrosis are rated at 20 percent each, effective May 2, 2015. The right knee disorder is rated noncompensable based on painful motion.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral region with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) did not manifest during service or within one year after separation, and are not etiologically related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disorder and a rating in excess of 20 percent for his back disability. The claim for TDIU prior to October 23, 2014 was also denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus are related to service, with hypertension being secondary to his service-connected high blood pressure. The cervical spine disorder is also found to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not caused by or a result of his military service and does not have a direct relationship to his service-connected left knee disability. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected low back disability was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for a higher rating under the General Formula or based on incapacitating episodes of disc disease.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his lumbar spine degenerative joint disease was granted, with the effective date set at October 1, 2013.,Effective April 1, 2004, service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with his lumbar spine degenerative joint disease was established.

The Board found that the Veteran's current cervical spine, right shoulder, and right elbow disabilities were not incurred in service. The symptoms of degenerative arthritis were not chronic in service or manifested within one year of separation.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for sciatic nerve dysfunction of the left and right lower extremities, as well as his low back disability, have been withdrawn. The Board has no further jurisdiction to consider these matters.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a low back disorder due to favorable decisions on other granted issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.