Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral arthralgia of the ankles and remanded the issue of service connection for a back disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current condition and events during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural defects, including unclear assignment of a partial grant and lack of effective date notice. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, right shoulder, cervical spine (post-C2-6 fusion), and lumbar spine DJD as the evidence did not support a causal relationship to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic low back pain, finding that his current condition is causally related to active service and secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot/heel plantar fasciitis and left knee instability.

The Board denied service connection for cervical, low back, right knee, left knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities as well as vertigo and lung/breathing disability. The Board found no medical evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.,Service connection was not granted on a direct basis due to lack of a medical nexus between the current conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various lower extremity and back disorders due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical evidence or information, and a new VA examination will be conducted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current back disorder is related to his active service, specifically an accident in August 1967.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development and medical inquiry.,Increased ratings are sought for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, neuropathy in both lower extremities, and degenerative joint disease in both knees.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, and right hand carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's PTSD and mood disorder were also not granted an initial rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and respiratory disorder (sinusitis) due to incomplete development of evidence, including lack of STRs and VA examination reports. The Veteran is asked to provide additional information and authorize VA to obtain relevant records.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are granted at a rating of 60 percent, effective from October 2008. The Board also found that her facial rash disorder is related to military service and granted service connection for it.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for low back strain is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the April 2020 VA examination. The examiner did not provide opinions regarding flare-ups at prior examinations and their impact on functional loss.

The Board has determined that additional attempts should be made to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records, as they are crucial for determining his eligibility for service connection. The appeal is remanded in order to address these missing records.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is now rated at a 40 percent effective September 4, 2019. He also received separate ratings for mild right sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies from September 14, 2013 to February 10, 2019, and a 20 percent rating for his right ankle disability.

The Board dismissed all claims due to the death of the appellant, as it has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these appeals at this time.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, including degenerative disc disease, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee strain with enthesophyte right patella condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions and further development is needed before a decision can be made on the Veteran's TDIU claim.

The Veteran's initial rating of 20 percent for his back disability prior to February 16, 2020 is denied.,The Veteran's increased rating request since February 16, 2020 is also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back condition and memory problems due to additional development being required. The claims will be reconsidered after obtaining translations of untranslated documents, further medical opinions, and any relevant private treatment records.