Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's left ear mastoiditis, cervical spine degenerative disc disease (cervical spine disability), right upper extremity radiculopathy, and tension headaches have been granted. The Veteran's service connection for right ear hearing loss and right upper extremity radiculopathy secondary to cervical spine disability are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD and lumbar strain with thoracolumbar DDD, with spinal stenosis were denied or granted as appropriate. The PTSD was not rated higher than 70% prior to October 31, 2014, and a 30% rating is now granted from January 21, 2020.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are granted as service-connected.,Service connection is denied for the Veteran's left shoulder disorder and right shoulder disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip condition, left knee condition, and back condition due to unclear medical evidence regarding the nature of his scoliosis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left wrist disorder, low back disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) as there is no credible evidence of current disabilities or functional impairment related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for nephrolithiasis was denied. The Board granted service connection for the low back disability, finding that it is more likely than not related to an in-service combat training accident.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of a right hand injury, residuals of a head injury (including headaches), cervical spine disability, bilateral upper extremity neurological disability, and stomach disability. The claims for residuals of a right thumb injury, sleep disability, and bilateral lower extremity neurological disabilities are remanded.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions as there is no evidence of chronic or continuous symptoms since service that can be attributed to his active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, and thus grants a TDIU effective November 14, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU were denied, with the effective date of all grants being February 2, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip condition, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's current hip disability is related to his active service or periods of ACDUTRA.,The Board also denied service connection for a thoracolumbar back condition, concluding that there was no evidence linking the current condition to in-service occurrences.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for low back disability and right knee arthritis. The claims are granted as both conditions are found to be at least as likely as not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions due to an inextricably intertwined issue regarding the character of the appellant's service from April 18, 2011 to July 21, 2015. The other issues are also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back condition, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury. Service connection was not established for the psychiatric disorders as secondary to the lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the extent of his functional loss during flare-ups and after repeated use over time, as previous examinations did not provide such estimates.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability with associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy had onset during service and is related to his military service, granting service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lumbar radiculopathy. The decision also notes that the issue of service connection for a left hip disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a lack of VA examinations and incomplete evidence. The Veteran is requested to undergo VA examinations for hepatitis C, cervical spine disability, lower back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's service-connected neck, back, and knee disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 28, 2018. The Board has remanded the case for further review by VA’s Director of Compensation Service regarding entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis.