Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of left knee is granted, as are his claims for secondary service connection for right knee and lumbosacral strain disabilities. The Veteran's left shoulder disability claim was denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's hip, foot scars, and back disabilities due to new evidence of worsening symptoms. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations for his bilateral hips, hypertension, right foot scars, and thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder, back disorder, and neuropathy of both lower extremities is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's preexisting back condition was aggravated by an in-service Jeep accident. The left hip disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all the claims currently before the Board, including increased ratings for various conditions and a compensable rating for early giant papillary conjunctivitis.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including right shoulder, low back, bilateral knee, right foot ingrown toenails, sinus disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's service connection claims are not granted as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of a relationship to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury and concluding that his current low back disability is more likely due to post-service injuries.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of a low back disability and has determined that service connection is warranted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection and disability ratings in multiple conditions, including right rotator cuff injury, hypertension, GERD, lumbosacral strain, radiculopathy of the left leg, radiculopathy of the right leg, and depression.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to determine if there is current treatment for the right knee and to assess its etiology. The lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy are also being reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and tinnitus, finding that the current conditions are not related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbo-sacral spine degenerative disc disease, status-post fusion, is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and a left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of continuity of symptomatology or evidence of in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's claim for a back disorder is denied. The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 100 percent for PTSD from June 3, 2014 to August 12, 2014 due to persistent danger of self-harm. He was also granted an initial rating of 50 percent for PTSD from August 13, 2014 to July 12, 2017 and a 70 percent rating thereafter.

The Veteran's low back disability, which includes degenerative disc disease and a laminectomy and fusion at L5-S1, is rated at 40 percent for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and unemployability due to his service-connected right shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and radiculopathies of the lower extremities are being remanded for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis. The issue of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals, left femur fracture with left hip bursitis is remanded. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a right hip disability is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder and thyroid disease are remanded.,Her claims for increased disability evaluations for hypertensive heart disease with intermittent sinus tachycardia and high blood pressure are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder condition, right hip condition, and low back condition due to lack of current disability evidence.