Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for low back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as the TDIU claim due to inadequate examination findings and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain and radiculopathy do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating prior to February 4, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for various knee, ankle, and back disabilities as well as COPD. The Veteran's pre-existing left knee condition was not aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of a current disability related to his right knee or ankles that can be linked to service. Service connection for COPD was also denied due to lack of exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and osteopenia, which may be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 18, 2014. The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 18, 2014 for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities based upon extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for an effective date of August 31, 1988 for service connection for lumbosacral strain and spondylolisthesis of L5 on S1 due to pre-existing conditions aggravated by service.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities since June 18, 2013.

The Veteran's hypertension requires continuous medication for control but has not been manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or a history thereof, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more. Therefore, his claim for an increased rating is denied.,The Board finds that the evidence does not support service connection for low back disorder as secondary to left ankle disability or diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability is remanded due to insufficient examination regarding pain and range of motion.

The Veteran's right knee strain, lumbar back strain, fibromyalgia, Raynaud's disease, and shoulder disabilities are all granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection for the lumbar back strain is set at August 1, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal for individual unemployability prior to January 14, 2021 is dismissed because the claim has been fully granted and there are no further issues in controversy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and chronic prostatitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and providing retrospective opinions on functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and awarded a TDIU rating based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine DDD and cervical radiculopathy of the right arm, both secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.,The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions were caused or aggravated by his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, blindness, blurred vision, and lower back disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left hip, low back, and left knee disabilities is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected right hip disability.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, bilateral foot drop, and sciatica of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has dismissed the claim for special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria beyond the period from September 29, 2015, to January 1, 2016. The remaining issues have been remanded and will be addressed in a future decision.