Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal, satisfied with the current rating and its reduction.

The Veteran's right foot disability and low back strain prior to June 14, 2017 were denied service connection. A rating of 20 percent for the low back strain was granted from June 14, 2017 onwards.

Service connection for a left knee disability, depression, and lumbar spine disability is granted.,Service connection for right knee disability, right hip disability, and left ankle disability is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including right knee strain, left shoulder condition, low back condition, hypertension, anxiety, and depression. The decision was based on a finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for right knee strain.

The Veteran's knee brace, back brace, and shoe inserts are not found to qualify for an annual clothing allowance as they do not tend to wear or tear his clothing.

Service connection for ankylosing spondylitis of the thoracolumbar spine is granted. Service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to ankylosing spondylitis of the thoracolumbar spine, is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to her service-connected back disability, as it is intertwined with her increased rating claim. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated in conjunction with the higher rating claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the presence of ankylosis in his lumbar spine. The Board requests a new VA examination to clarify this issue and determine the current level of severity of his lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for a disorder of the thoracolumbar spine, bilateral hip disorder, and bilateral pes planus. The Veteran was granted service connection for calluses of the plantar aspect.,Service connection was not established for a bilateral hip disorder or bilateral pes planus.

The appeal for a back disorder is dismissed. The hepatitis C claim, along with its secondary claims for laparoscopic hernia repair, PTSD, and liver cancer, are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a restoration of a 50 percent rating for lumbosacral spine osteoarthritis is granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper extremity condition with pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling, as well as for bilateral lower extremity condition with pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling are denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of cold weather injury to the bilateral feet, right knee injury, and bilateral hearing loss have been granted. The claim for left knee injury is denied. The claim for spinal stenosis (low back disability) has been remanded.,Residuals of a right knee injury, bilateral hearing loss, and spinal stenosis were all granted service connection. The Veteran's claim for residuals of cold weather injury to the bilateral feet remains pending as new evidence was not received. The left knee injury claim is denied.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's low back strain, but remanded cases regarding his left shoulder impingement and right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his thoracolumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of a back disability has been granted. However, the issue is still pending as remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea and for an effective date prior to June 27, 2015 for the grant of service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder, cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral pes planus, and dry throat disabilities are not service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and low back disabilities have been reopened, but the issues of entitlement to service connection remain pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is secondary to his service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected stroke residuals and for TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating beyond 10 percent, as there were no ascertainable residuals to warrant such a rating. For TDIU, the Veteran's disabilities were rated at 80% combined, meeting the threshold requirements, but his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.