Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and additional VA treatment records. The claims will be considered again after obtaining all relevant medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral and cervical spine disabilities due to insufficient rationale in previous VA opinions. The case will be reviewed with an additional medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder is not related to an in-service injury, but rather to a post-service motor vehicle accident. As such, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hip, lower extremity radiculopathy, and thoracolumbar sprain with traumatic arthritis require additional examination to determine their current severity. The issues of rating higher than 10 percent for limitation of left hip extension, limitation of flexion of the left hip, and trochanteric bursitis of the left hip are remanded as well.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis and vertigo have been remanded for further development.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions has not yet been established.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent from February 23, 2015. The Board found that the Veteran's forward flexion of the lumbar spine was limited to 30 degrees or less during flare-ups and granted a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequacies in the most recent VA medical opinions. The Veteran's DJD of thoracolumbar spine, left shoulder, and left knee are being reviewed again to determine if they are related to his service-connected DJD of his left ankle and/or left hand.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation of his service-connected lumbar musculoligamentous strain with mild degenerative spondylosis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral metatarsalgia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 27, 2012, for his total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because he did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative joint disease and whether he experienced incapacitating episodes due to IVDS. The claim will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,An effective date earlier than April 25, 2013, is denied for the awards of service connection for right knee tendonitis and thoracolumbar sprain.

The Veteran's lumbar strain was rated at 40 percent effective January 14, 2021. The claim for higher ratings and TDIU were denied.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed bilateral hip and leg disabilities as secondary to his lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no legal basis for such claims due to the denial of service connection for the lumbar spine disability.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and temporary 100 percent ratings are remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his lumbar spine disability and bilateral hip disabilities, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability, any separate and additional respiratory illness as due to undiagnosed illness or MUCMI, and COPD. The remand is required due to inadequate VA examinations and the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine were denied. The diabetes rating was maintained at 40 percent, while the lumbar spine rating was denied in excess of 20 percent from November 30, 2005 to January 22, 2020, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.