Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee condition is dismissed.,An initial 20 percent rating, prior to February 9, 2017, and a 40 percent rating, effective from February 9, 2017, are granted for chronic mild DJD and DDD of the lumbar spine. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.,A 30 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination of the Veteran's lumbar spine condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back disability, finding that there is no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptoms since service. The Veteran was also remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his right foot condition and Agent Orange exposure claims.,The VA has not yet obtained the Veteran’s complete service personnel records to determine if he had in-country service in Vietnam or was otherwise exposed to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including asbestos exposure, low back disability, sciatic nerve impingement, cervical spondylitis, sarcoidosis, diabetes, hypertension, and migraine headaches are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not yet determined whether these conditions are related to his military service. The issues of hypertension and other conditions remain pending.

The Veteran's low back disability has not met the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating, as his range of motion is limited to at most 60 degrees and there is no evidence of ankylosis. The Board found that the current 20 percent rating adequately reflects the Veteran's functional impairment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives regarding whether the Veteran's current thoracolumbar spine disability pre-existed service and was aggravated by service.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's lower back injury, finding that his disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset of the veteran's back condition during his active duty for training (ACDUTRA) period from August 1974 to December 1974. The VA is instructed to obtain SSA records and schedule a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of reopening his service connection for hypertension and low back disability, but granted his claim to reopen for low back disability. The denial is based on lack of nexus between current disabilities and service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for back disability, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability during service and no credible link between current symptoms and service. The Board also found that the Veteran's current back condition is not related to his service-connected right tibia fracture.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, and OSA. The claims were reopened due to new evidence received since the previous decisions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations due to the possibility of worsening of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower back condition and right knee condition have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition is pending, as it has been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to his military service. The Veteran needs to provide more information and possibly undergo a VA examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower back condition and bilateral flat feet, both found to be at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine and left lower extremity sciatica are being remanded due to incomplete VA examination reports, lack of Social Security Administration records, and the need for a new VA spine examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to failure to schedule VA examinations and provide proper notice of scheduled appointments.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is related to service, and whether it is secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus and/or hip, knee, and ankle disabilities.