Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to his service-connected disabilities, as he is not bedridden or in need of regular aid and assistance.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for idiopathic scoliosis, lumbar spine and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities are being remanded as the VA examination report is not adequate without an explanation for the failure to evaluate the functional effects of flare-ups.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to support the Veteran's claims for service connection and a compensable rating for irritable bowel syndrome. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for low back disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, PTSD, and headaches have been denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for hemorrhoids and bilateral plantar fasciitis are set at May 8, 2015. The Veteran is granted a 10 percent evaluation for his hemorrhoids but not for his bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether his claimed conditions are of the type that should have been documented in service records and were not. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to missing service treatment records and incomplete National Guard service information.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, as he has continued to work throughout the appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability, including arthritis (spinal stenosis), finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability during service or within one year post-service. The Board also found no link between current back issues and in-service activities.

The claim has been reopened, but the appeal is still pending as further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current thoracolumbar spine disabilities are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The effective dates for the establishment of service connection for pes planus, right-hand tingling and numbness, left-hand tingling and numbness, chronic otitis externa, and GERD have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disability (depressive disorder).,Service connection is also granted for internal derangement left knee with limitation of flexion, a separate rating for extension prior to March 17, 2018, and an increased rating from March 17, 2018. The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability is not rated higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Board has determined that a VA medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including degenerative joint disease (DJD), is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected left and/or right knee disabilities. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of neck injury is granted as the current condition is related to in-service traumatic injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to herbicide exposure is granted. The claim for an increased rating for kyphosis with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, and a surgical scar associated with Crohn's Disease is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of a headache disability, and the right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent, which is the highest rating available under VA regulations.

The Board has reopened the claim and granted service connection for a low back disorder, but denied the claim as it is not related to active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected arthritis of the lumbar and cervical spine, as well as his right ankle disability, costochondritis, sinusitis, and headaches have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability was denied. The claims for increases in the ratings assigned for right ankle ligament strain, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee retropatellar pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis, and mallet little finger, right hand are remanded.