Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's neck and right shoulder disorders. The claims for service connection are not granted as there is no evidence that the current conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed for the Veteran's service-connected left knee and lumbosacral spine conditions due to inadequate previous evaluations. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his disabilities.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU), and they have not rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Veteran does not qualify for Special Monthly Compensation based on statutory housebound status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is service-connected, with the most probative evidence showing a link to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected asthma resulted in the grant of secondary service connection for right ankle osteoarthritis and scars of the right ankle, effective from September 14, 2006. The Veteran is seeking earlier effective dates for these determinations.,VA received a claim for TDIU on October 16, 2012, which was granted effective from that date due to the combined rating of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from August 21, 2009 to August 10, 2017 and remains denied for a higher rating. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis with degenerative joint disease with mechanical low back pain and IVDS is rated at 40 percent on and after August 11, 2017. The Veteran's sciatic nerve involvement of the left lower extremity is rated at 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but the claims for diabetes mellitus and lumbar spine disability are remanded as additional medical opinions are needed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted. The claim for gastrointestinal disorder (abdominal pain) is remanded due to lack of current diagnosis in the records.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The case will be returned for another VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his period of service or any service-connected conditions. The Board also found that the Veteran's current low back disorder was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder condition, back condition, neck condition, and bilateral foot condition as the evidence does not support that these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome are all rated at the same levels (10% and 20%) since December 10, 2016. The Board has ordered remand for further examinations to determine if there have been any changes in the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for hypertension, tinnitus, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and service connection for various disabilities have been withdrawn.,Issues related to the Veteran's low back disability and acquired psychiatric disability are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back condition is at least as likely as not related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a lumbar condition and a sinus condition due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to grant TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine conditions, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service motor vehicle accident.,The evidence shows a continuity of symptoms from the time of the in-service injury until present.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a nerve disability of the right leg, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or any incident therein.