Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's arthritis of the left knee, arthritis of the right knee, and degenerative changes and bulging disc disability of the lumbosacral spine as secondary to his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back condition, right knee condition, and left knee condition as there is no current diagnosis or persistent symptoms related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial disability rating for his service-connected lumbar spine condition is remanded due to the need for a retrospective opinion regarding its severity prior to June 7, 2019.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased initial disability rating for his service-connected IBS with GERD is also remanded as there are inadequate VA examination reports and the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of his condition, including whether it is related to service or aggravated by his right knee condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to August 5, 2013 for service connection of osteoarthritis and thoracolumbar spine (claimed as back condition) because the claim was not received within one year after separation from active duty. The error in the date stamp has been acknowledged, and the proper effective date is August 5, 2013.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and mild degenerative disc disease at the lumbosacral junction, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a causal relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete development.

The claims for service connection have been reopened and are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The Veteran's current diagnoses of cyst, lumbar spine disorder, respiratory disorder, neck disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, depressive disorder, and PTSD are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The right knee and left ankle disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, and evaluations in excess of 10 percent for low back strain and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity have all been denied.,Service connection was not granted because there is no evidence of current tinnitus. The claim for increased ratings were also denied as the Veteran's disabilities did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Board denied service connection for left trigger (index) finger disability and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to September 17, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right leg injury, low back disorder, and neck disorder due to incomplete verification of his National Guard service periods and inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran will need to provide more information about his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA during his National Guard service.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with herniated disc at L5 and S1, finding that a compensable rating was warranted prior to November 21, 2016 but no greater. For the period after November 21, 2016, the Board found no evidence of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes warranting a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disability is related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for this condition, as well as for a headache disorder. The claims for chronic neck disorder, chronic back disorder, chronic right knee disorder, and chronic left knee disorder are denied.

The Board has determined that the previous remand directives were not substantially complied with and another remand is warranted. The Veteran's TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for knee conditions and back conditions are inadequate, and thus remands these claims for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's back disability, including his claimed degenerative disc disease and joint disease of the lumbar spine. The VA needs to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right hip strain with arthritis, left hip strain with arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine disability were all denied by the Board. The evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has denied service connection for a back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for a right leg disability due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between current disabilities and service.