Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and bilateral ankle disabilities due to insufficient etiological opinions in the October 2017 VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide a clear history of his symptoms' onset, and an orthopedic examination should be scheduled.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's condition began during active service and has been continuous since then.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development to address the severity of his service-connected left knee/femur disability, determine if a low back disorder is related to service or secondary to his left knee condition, and evaluate whether he qualifies for TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 31, 2017. From July 31, 2017, his combined disability rating is 100%, but he does not have a single disability rated at least 60% disabling or one disability rated at least 40% disabling and the evidence does not indicate total unemployability due to one disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is related to service, as his preexisting condition was aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and needs further examination and analysis regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for his back disability, including thoracic scoliosis and degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability. The Veteran's claims include both direct service connection and secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating, and his application is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he is not unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left leg disability, right leg disability, and back disability due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's spine condition, specifically related to flare-ups and their impact on his disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding his lumbar spine disorder and its relationship to his military service, as well as whether his radiculopathy of the lower extremities and acquired psychiatric disorder are secondary to his lumbar spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA treatment records from 1981, which are relevant to the Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent low back pain.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are presumed to have started during the one-year period following his separation from active service. The Veteran has a current diagnosis of migraine headaches and experienced headaches during service, though no treatment was provided at that time.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's right shoulder disability and service. While he reported discomfort and clicking when raising his arm in service, there are no records indicating any injury or condition related to this issue until after separation from active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint and disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine due to a lack of substantial compliance with the October 2017 remand, need for updated examination, and need to address whether numbness of hands and feet is related to the back disorder.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with right upper extremity radiculopathy, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his active duty.,Service connection was granted for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The Board found that the Veteran had continuous back pain since service and supported this by private medical opinions.

The appeal of the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his back disability is dismissed. The petition to reopen service connection for hypertension has been granted, and the issues of service connection for various conditions are remanded.