Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's back disorder, pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and pseudofolliculitis barbae are all found to be related to service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the manifestations of his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The TDIU issue will also be remanded as it may be influenced by the outcome of the lumbar spine claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records. The issues are whether he is entitled to service connection for a bilateral foot disability and if his back disability is secondary to his foot condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability does not meet or more nearly approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent. The cervical strain claim is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining reserve service records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, bilateral knee, and right shoulder disorders are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology or an in-service injury.

The Veteran's PTSD claim has been withdrawn.,Prior to January 15, 2015, the low back disability warranted a rating of 10 percent. From January 15, 2015 to December 16, 2015, it warranted a rating of 20 percent. Since then, it has not met the criteria for a higher rating.,Since January 15, 2015, the right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy has been rated at 20 percent.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Hypertension has not met the criteria for a higher rating.,Residual scars from basal cell epithelioma have warranted a 30 percent rating since March 6, 2013.,The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer. The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, right wrist condition, bilateral arm condition, and bilateral leg condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death, and concluded that his PTSD did not substantially or materially contribute to his death. The Board also noted that there was no evidence of suicide attempts related to PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent, with a separate rating of 60 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for a low back disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lower back disability, post-operative laminectomy residuals was denied. The claim for service connection for colon cancer as secondary to kidney disorder is not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine are rated at 20 percent each, meeting the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The TDIU issue is remanded to the AOJ.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine is related to his in-service back injury, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow for the consideration of additional medical evidence not previously reviewed by the RO.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development to determine if his back disability is related to service or secondary to his service-connected left ankle condition.

The appeal is being remanded for additional development due to recent changes in the evidence. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered after this new information.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed lumbar degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease with stenosis is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's upper and lower back disabilities are related to service, granting service connection for these conditions.,An initial rating of 10 percent is granted for hemorrhoids prior to September 26, 2014, and an increased rating of 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's back disability was rated at 20% from June 25, 2004 to July 7, 2009 and in excess of 20% thereafter. The TDIU claim was granted prior to July 23, 2015.