Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for TBI, Alzheimer’s disease, headaches, low back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, right ankle disability, and heart disability. The hearing loss claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and also requested additional information regarding his periods of active duty. The Veteran is also required to undergo a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, pulmonary disability, heart disability, Parkinson’s disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and gastrointestinal disability, but denied service connection for low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disorder from April 11, 2006, to January 28, 2014.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various lower extremity disabilities, including back disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability. The reasons are to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spinal stenosis was not incurred in or related to his service.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to acoustic trauma during service in Vietnam.,Tinnitus is less likely than not related to the Veteran’s service, as there were no threshold shifts noted.,The phantom pain from amputated left fingers may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus type II.,Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and left upper extremity are secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.,Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity are secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and polysubstance dependence) is not related to service, as he does not have a diagnosis of PTSD.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II requires further examination.,Residuals of prostate cancer require an evaluation from February 1, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of service connection for back condition, hyperlipidemia, acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, left lower extremity PAD, and right lower extremity PAD remain on appeal.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back disability and found that his bilateral hearing loss warranted a non-compensable rating. The decision on the initial compensable rating claim is pending.

The Board denied service connection for abdominal aortic aneurysm, gastrointestinal disability (GERD), erectile dysfunction, and back disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded for further development as the VA examiner did not provide a medical opinion regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by his service-connected hyperthyroidism.

Your service connection claims for right hand condition, low back condition, and right eye condition are being remanded to obtain additional information about your military service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left hand disability, left hip disability, psychiatric disability, recurrent anemia, and increased ratings for lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's claims are also inextricably intertwined with the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to December 8, 2006.

The Board granted service connection and a 30 percent rating for PTSD, and granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The claims for memory loss and gastrointestinal disorder were remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for her chronic lumbar spine strain and service connection for a right lower extremity disability, to include as secondary to her service-connected low back disability. The issues are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for additional development.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims and subsequent submission of new evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability due to new and material evidence. However, the case is still pending as further examination and opinion are needed.

The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD and DJD are rated at 20 percent, but the Board found no evidence of ankylosis or IVDS warranting a higher rating. The TDIU claim was also denied as his service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, left knee disability, eye disorder, hearing loss disability, and respiratory disease. The appellant did not meet the criteria for service connection on a direct basis.,There is no evidence of chronic or identifiable disabilities in service, nor any nexus to service.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, back, and right great toe disorders as the evidence did not support a nexus to active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a groin condition, back disability, and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.