Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for increased compensation, service connection, and to reopen a previously denied claim are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee meniscal tear, finding that the condition likely occurred during the Appellant's period of active duty training in July 2009. Service connection was denied for a back disability due to lack of evidence linking it to any period of active duty or ACDUTRA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of an in-service cytological procedure of the low back, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and that the Veteran did not experience functional impairment due to his claimed condition.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a low back disability due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private chiropractic records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's back disability is rated under various criteria since May 29, 2003.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that his pre-existing condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and vertigo, but has remanded the cases of neck disability and skin condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including clarification of his military service and a VA opinion addressing the relationship between his back disorder and his right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate August 2018 VA examination and opinion, which did not adequately address the Veteran's reports of continuous back pain since his in-service injury. The claim is now pending for further adjudication with a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability (Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease) and a lumbar spine disability, finding that his pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service and were not related to any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss, back disability, and tinnitus) prevent him from securing and following a substantial gainful occupation. The Board has granted an extraschedular TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a cervical spine disorder and residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include a headache disorder, as well as the SMC and SMP claims. The issues are being remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran's falls were caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis prior to August 23, 2011. The evidence did not establish that his service-connected conditions alone rendered him incapable of obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment during this period.

The Board has denied service connection for pharynx and thoracic/mid back disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lung cancer. The claims are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for myositis as secondary to a service-connected right shoulder disability, but denied service connection for a thoracic spine disability.

The Board has found that further development of the record is necessary for proper adjudication of these claims, including obtaining treatment records and arranging for examinations. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are being remanded to allow for a determination on their current severity.

The Board has already granted entitlement to service connection for PTSD and a low back disability in a January 2019 rating decision, so the issues are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a TBI and low back disability due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's contentions regarding in-service injuries, memory impairment, and head injuries are considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right elbow disability was reopened and granted. The appeal is remanded for further development on the issues of low back, foot, and acquired psychiatric disorders.