Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, neuropathy, bronchial asthma, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions during the appeal period.,Service connection was also denied for bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his left thumb, left knee, and lumbosacral strain disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a right shoulder disability and thoracolumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA is required to obtain new treatment records and schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate examiner.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disorder is related to his military service. The VA needs to schedule a VA examination and obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for service connection for an abdominal muscle tear and a lumbosacral strain, finding no new and material evidence. The claim for increased rating of bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD with IVDS and associated right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted service connection effective August 15, 2014. A rating of 40 percent was assigned from August 15, 2014 to July 9, 2017 for the lumbar spine DDD with IVDS and separate ratings of 20 percent each were granted for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy effective August 15, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition (claimed as a gunshot wound to the lower back), bilateral foot condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD, to include depression, anxiety, and any mental condition, all of which were pending at the time of the Veteran's death. The Board found no nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disorders due to incomplete records from the appellant's Army Reserve service.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right leg nerve disorder, which may be related to his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and insufficient opinions regarding her lumbar spine, knee, skin condition, left sided sciatica, and right sided sciatica disabilities. The RO is instructed to obtain missing VA treatment records and request any service medical records from the Veteran. A new examination will be scheduled for the Veteran to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inextricably intertwined issues and pending adjudication of another appeal. The Social Security Administration records need to be obtained for both claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability.,For TDIU, the Veteran does not meet the schedular criteria as he has more than one service-connected disability but their combined rating is less than 70 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, a low back condition, and hepatitis C due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal stromal tumor and its treatment are the primary focus of these claims. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records, including VA and non-VA treatment records, and to provide an updated opinion regarding the potential relationship between the Veteran’s 2009 diagnosis and treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumor and his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's DJD of the lumbar spine and right knee were caused by his service-connected left knee disability.,Service connection for DJD of the lumbar spine and right knee is granted as secondary to the service-connected left knee disability. The effective date is not specified in this decision.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection of a right shoulder disorder was granted. Service connection is also granted for a right shoulder disorder, but the low back disorder remains pending and requires further examination and evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as secondary to her service-connected cervical spondylosis. The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination regarding brain demyelination, hearing loss, numbness and pain claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right arms, increased ratings for cervical spondylosis and lumbosacral strain.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Service connection is being remanded for dextroscoliosis of the lumbar spine and a cervical spine condition to include as secondary to dextroscoliosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a thoracolumbar spine disability, concluding that there was no evidence of chronic lumbar spine arthritis in service or within a presumptive period. The preponderance of evidence did not support a causal relationship between current thoracolumbar spine diagnoses and back problems during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lower back disability, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim.,The Board also denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for chloracne, as there was no exposure to herbicides during active duty and no competent medical evidence linking the condition to service.