Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and inadequate examination, requiring further development of the record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her service-connected scoliosis with lumbar DDD, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, bladder urgency, and fecal urgency due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip degenerative joint disease and lumbar degenerative disc disease, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.,The VA examinations did not find a link between the Veteran’s current hip and back disabilities and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral hip disabilities, finding the evidence at least in equipoise regarding their etiology. The Veteran's active service as a paratrooper is considered in determining the cause of his current conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of TBI and lumbar strain were denied, but the claim for service connection for lumbar strain was reopened. The appeal is denied as new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim for residuals of TBI.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tension headaches remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for headaches, rhinitis/sinusitis, low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, and chest pain. Service connection has also been denied for hyperlipidemia.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for low back disability was previously denied in July 2010. New evidence has been submitted, but it does not meet the criteria to reopen the claim as new and material evidence has not been received within one year of the previous denial.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial evaluations in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder disorder, back disorder, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and sleep apnea due to incomplete development and need for additional medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the claim for lumbar disability due to a failure to ensure substantial compliance with its previous remand order, specifically in obtaining a VA Form 646 from the Veteran's representative.

The Board has granted service connection for a degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that it is related to an in-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, including as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability. The claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability was also denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine were granted service connection. The right and left knee disabilities were denied, but an earlier effective date for the low back disability was granted.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, but the Board has remanded for a determination on whether his service-connected conditions caused or aggravated his cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, sleep disability, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson disease, circulatory disability, gastroesophageal disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral hip and knee disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities has been granted. The claims for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, bilateral upper extremity frostbite residuals, bilateral lower extremity frostbite residuals, bilateral foot disability, skin disability, and service connection for a lumbar spine disability have been denied.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, left and right knee conditions, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), finding that the evidence did not establish a nexus to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle strain, left foot plantar fasciitis, and lumbar spine disorder (scoliosis and degenerative arthritis) as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle strain, left foot plantar fasciitis, and lumbar spine disorder (scoliosis and degenerative arthritis) as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative arthritis and sciatica of the left and right lower extremities were not granted service connection as they did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, were not chronic in service, continuity of symptomatology is not established, and are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.,The Veteran's sciatica of the left lower extremity was not granted service connection as it did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, was not chronic in service, continuity of symptomatology is not established, and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.,The Veteran's sciatica of the right lower extremity was not granted service connection as it did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, was not chronic in service, continuity of symptomatology is not established, and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability claimed as spinal compression, finding that there is no current diagnosis of any back disability and insufficient evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability has been reopened, and the case is remanded due to new evidence. The issue of entitlement to TDIU remains pending.