Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to incomplete examinations and outstanding medical records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right hip condition, bilateral ankle disorder, and mild degenerative joint disease (DJD), lumbar spine with spondylosis due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for malaria was denied. The appeals for service connection for back, left ankle, right ankle, bilateral foot (pes planus), bilateral eyesight loss, and bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is remanded, as well as the issue of entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for a disability of the thoracolumbar spine, including degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, and spondylosis. However, it denied service connection for thoracic scoliosis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbar spondylolisthesis with minimal L5 on S1 anterolisthesis is being remanded due to incomplete evidence and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeals for whether new and material has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for acromioclavicular separation with degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, and entitlement to an initial compensable rating for eczema have all been dismissed. The appeals for the remaining issues are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back injury is being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and consideration. The VA examiner should assess whether his current back disorders are related to his military service, including any falls from telephone poles during training.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for low back and right hand conditions have been reopened, and the claim is granted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for other conditions are addressed further in the Remand section.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his physical limitations and mental impairments.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability has been reopened and is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for DMII, including as due to exposure to herbicides, is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability and remanded the issue of service connection for germ cell carcinoma. The case is now being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's applications to reopen her claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the left and right hips, and a TDIU. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected mental health and lumbar spine disabilities. From July 11, 2013, to February 20, 2014, the Veteran's depressive disorder was rated at 30 percent; from February 21, 2014, forward, it is rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine is granted, as there is at least equipoise evidence to support a finding that his current condition is related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder and right hip disorder due to claimed radiation exposure. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to in-service events or diseases.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder (upper back condition) due to new evidence received since the July 2009 rating decision. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's initial rating for headaches associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is granted at a 30 percent level. The issues of service connection for neck disability, low back injury, increased ratings for TBI residuals and headaches, special monthly compensation for erectile dysfunction, and an earlier effective date for tinnitus are all remanded due to the need for additional evidence or examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD was denied. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lower back disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition is granted, but the case is remanded due to need for additional examination and evidence.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for his back, left knee, and right knee disabilities have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for increased ratings based on limitation of motion or instability.