Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder, right foot numbness, and left foot numbness are related to service. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the initial ratings of cervical fusion, lumbosacral strain with lumbar spondylosis, and left shoulder status post arthroscopic surgery.

The Veteran's claim for a temporary total rating for convalescence due to low back disability was denied as the need for convalescence was unrelated to his service-connected paraspinal lumbar spasms. The Veteran's current symptoms are related to nonservice-connected degenerative disc disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, prostate disability, and left foot disability. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of his service-connected disabilities, including residuals of peritonitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates as they are not legally entitled to such based on the lack of timely filed NODs and the fact that no Notice of Disagreement was received within one year from the June 1997 rating decision.

The Veteran seeks service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain a medical opinion addressing the effect of the Veteran's MOS on his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability is being remanded due to inadequate opinion in the July 2014 VA examination and need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability and service connection claims for various secondary disabilities. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating or service connection.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including degenerative joint disease and chronic quadriceps muscle strain, has not met the criteria for a higher rating since June 15, 2012.,Since December 29, 2015, his service-connected severe muscle injury of the left quadriceps has also not met the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his service-connected low back disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Veteran's detrusser instability is related to her service-connected lumbosacral strain with transitional vertebra disability, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that this rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on the evidence provided.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability, including nerve damage to the bilateral legs, is not related to his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back and right knee disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after his military service, and there is no evidence of a direct relationship to his service-connected bilateral foot cold hypersensitivity residuals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not service-connected, but his residuals of a cold weather injury to the bilateral feet are service-connected.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 21, 2011 for the grant of service connection for chronic kidney disease is granted. The case is remanded for further development related to increased ratings and SMC.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum rating requirements for a TDIU on a schedular basis. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing sedentary employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to service or a service-connected condition, and denied his claim for service connection.