Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder has been reopened and is now granted.,Service connection was also awarded for the left hip, but the effective date of this award remains to be determined.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and low back disorders as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of all evidence, including recent SSA records. The issues include service connection for a back condition and TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also noted that other medical opinions did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusions.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back, cervical, left hip, and right hip disorders are not related to service or a service-connected disability. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for thoracolumbar strain was granted, with the effective date being May 29, 2008. The other issues remain denied.

The Veteran's chronic lower back disability has been rated at 10 percent since July 2008. The most recent VA examination in February 2016 showed forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees, and a combined range of motion not greater than 120 degrees. These findings do not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 10 percent.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current low back disability to service or her service-connected PTSD, and thus denied her claim.

The Board denied service connection for back disability, finding that the Veteran's current low back pain is not related to events during service.,Service connection was granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (Personality Disorder), but only after reopening a previously denied claim.

The Board found no evidence of a current low back disability related to service, including the Southwest Asia Theater.,There is insufficient documentation supporting a relationship between the Veteran's current headaches and service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine with left sciatica was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's recurrent gastrointestinal disorder, lumbosacral spine disorder, hypertension, and prostate disorder were initially manifested during active service. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent prior to July 11, 2011 and denied for a higher rating thereafter. The effective date remains unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and conduct a new VA examination for his back, neck, and upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a low back disability, skin and respiratory disorders, TBI, anemia, GI issues, tinnitus, thyroid disorder, and hemorrhoids have been denied. The Board found the evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for higher evaluation of his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied. The Board found that a 40% rating is warranted on and after June 15, 2013, based on forward flexion limited to less than 30 degrees. However, there were no findings of ankylosis or intervertebral disc syndrome with incapacitating episodes totaling at least 6 weeks over the prior 12 months. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board has determined that the correct effective date for service connection of lumbar spondylosis is March 27, 2014, as this was the first date a chronic disorder was medically identified and associated with service-connected hip and knee disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, and denied entitlement to TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment.