Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and lumbar spine disorders due to incomplete medical opinions that did not address the Veteran's reported history of lifting toolboxes during ACDUTRA.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his reported flare-ups.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spondylolisthesis, right shoulder acromioclavicular degenerative hypertrophy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to lumbar spine disability.

The Board has restored service connection for the Veteran's back condition, finding that the grant of service connection was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to conflicting evidence regarding whether a preexisting condition was aggravated during service.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with wedge fracture of T8 was not manifested by forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine less than 30 degrees or favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine during the period from October 31, 2011 to May 22, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral deafness, a bilateral hip disorder, a neck disorder, a bilateral shoulder disorder, a back disorder, a bilateral knee disorder, a bilateral ankle disorder, a bilateral arm disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder), hypertensive cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a bilateral elbow disorder, and a bilateral foot disorder were not caused by or related to his active duty service.,The Veteran's claimed conditions did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee condition and lumbar spine condition have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board denied service connection for chronic bronchitis, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection was not granted as there is no medical evidence showing that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his time in active duty.

The Board has found that the VA medical opinions provided were inadequate and remanded for addendum etiology opinions. The claims are now being returned to obtain new opinions addressing the likely etiology of the Veteran's neck, shoulder, and back disorders.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right and left foot disabilities (other than pes planus) due to in-service occurrences. Additional development is needed to determine if there is a nexus between these conditions and documented in-service occurrences.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA examination and potential service connection issues.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn all of his pending claims.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar strain is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection claims for various knee and back disabilities as they are related to sleep apnea and hypertension, due to the Veteran's death.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding increased disability evaluations for anxiety disorder and lumbar spine DDD, as well as the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for antisocial personality behavior disorder (claimed as intermittent explosive disorder), PTSD, and sleep disorder secondary to PTSD. The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for lumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are granted based on evidence showing a nexus between current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical opinions and new evidence. The claims include bone, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, right hip, left hip, and left foot disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the case is remanded to determine if he has a separate disability from his service-connected radiculopathy and whether he was exposed to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder, back, knee, and pulmonary issues, have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.,An increased rating claim for right shoulder condition was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, right wrist disability (including carpal tunnel syndrome), cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have all been denied.,There is no evidence of a current disability in any of the claimed conditions.