Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis is granted. The left ankle, lumbar spine, and foot disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for a lumbar spine condition and depression, but has remanded them for further development including obtaining VA examinations to address the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hand and right knee disabilities are not related to her military service, and her cervical spine degenerative disc disease and left foot neuritis do not warrant an increased rating.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 60 percent rating for chronic lumbosacral strain was granted. The appeal for an increased rating to a level above 60 percent was denied.

The claims for service connection have been reopened, but the merits of each claim remain denied. The Veteran's new evidence does not establish a current disability or an in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of right central serous retinopathy was denied.,Service connection for a right shoulder disability, hypertension, and left shoulder disability were also denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis was denied.,An effective date prior to December 1, 2015, for the grant of service connection for allergic rhinitis was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD, low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU due to outstanding service treatment records and a need for additional examinations. The AOJ must obtain these records and provide the Veteran with appropriate VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not establish a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, and entitlement to TDIU from July 1, 2007 to May 10, 2010 due to difficulties contacting the Veteran for VA examinations.

The application to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for a low back condition was denied. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and Hepatitis C were also denied, while service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's neck and back disorders, as well as their associated radiculopathies. The Veteran is required to provide additional records from Texas Back Institute and undergo a new VA examination.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 40 percent effective May 19, 2009. The Veteran's associated neurological disability (sciatic nerve radiculopathy) is rated at 20 percent for both his right and left sciatic nerves since January 19, 2017; 40 percent for the left sciatic nerve since June 16, 2017; and 30 percent for the left femoral nerve radiculopathy since November 9, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine dextroscoliosis with instability and degenerative changes, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability should be remanded due to insufficient evidence. A VA examination is needed to determine if his current condition is related to his in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's medical records establish diagnoses or persistent symptoms of various disabilities and have indicated a possible service connection. Therefore, the case is being remanded to provide the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for back disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral ankle disability have been granted. The Board found that the current diagnoses are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and development of evidence, specifically regarding the severity of the Veteran's lumbar facet atrophy and sacroilitis.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disability, but has remanded it due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current low back conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a vision disorder was previously denied, and new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,Service connection for heart disorder is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.