Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right foot sprain is denied as there is no evidence of any relationship between her current diagnosis and military service.,Her increased rating claim for chalazion left eye remains denied, with the Board noting that she does not have any visual acuity or visual field defect.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy and degenerative disease of the lumbar spine are both rated under the appropriate VA rating criteria, resulting in a combined evaluation of 40 percent. The Board finds that separate compensation for the right lower extremity radiculopathy is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of degenerative osteoarthritis, bronchitis, seborrheic keratosis, a low back disorder, a rectal abscess status post excision, and headaches with dizziness have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded these issues for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected T12-L1 disc herniation with degenerative disc disease was denied as the evidence did not show that the disability warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder and an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his back disability and a TDIU prior to February 14, 2017 are remanded due to the need to determine if a separate rating is warranted for post-void urinary dribbling. The effective date of any new ratings will be determined based on the evidence.

The Veteran's gouty arthritis is rated at 40 percent from February 24, 2015. His lumbosacral strain remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his low back disability, which may be aggravated by a service-connected left ankle disability. The case will need to be reviewed with a new VA examination or opinion.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and increased ratings for thoracic spine and cervical spine disabilities are remanded due to inadequate development. The VA examinations did not include passive range of motion testing, functional loss assessment during flare-ups or repeated use, and the Reserve personnel and medical records need to be obtained.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disorder, left wrist disorders, cervical spine disorder, right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient development of the record. The issues are being returned for further examination and medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The lumbar spine disability was not rated higher than 20%, the cervical spine disability prior to May 20, 2010 and since May 20, 2010 were both denied as not meeting criteria for a higher rating, and the radiculopathy of the right lower extremity was denied as not meeting criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's current back disorder is related to service or service-connected disabilities, including his cervical spine degeneration and synovitis of the right knee.

The Board has granted service connection for a left elbow disability and remanded the issues of service connection for a back disability and hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for chest wall muscle damage and thoracolumbar vertebral body compression fracture with osseous mass as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right lung upper lobe large-cell carcinoma status-post thoracotomy. The other issues were denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate discussion of functional loss and pain during flare-ups in prior examinations. The Veteran's low back disorder is being reviewed for a retrospective opinion to determine its severity from October 22, 2007 to September 12, 2014.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus. The claim for service connection of schizoaffective disorder is remanded.,There are no specific details provided regarding the exposure basis or rating assigned.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's spondylosis of the lumbar spine, including whether it is related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for CRSC payments related to his service-connected lower back disability is dismissed because determination of eligibility for these payments is outside the jurisdiction of VA and within the authority of the Secretary of Defense.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is remanded due to incomplete medical records and the need for a physical examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted, and the low back disability claim is remanded for further development.