Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for various joint disorders, including right wrist, left forearm, right fingers, left fingers, left thigh, left buttock, and left foot arthritis. The decision also denied service connection for DDD of the spine.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increased disability ratings and TDIU, as there are insufficient medical records to determine the severity of his service-connected conditions prior to his death in August 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right hip disorder, and left hip disorder due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and left knee conditions due to insufficient evidence, including a need for a VA examination.

The Board has granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The appeal for an increased rating for the back disability is remanded due to inadequate examination and new regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's low back condition and leg condition. The examiner was asked to consider a documented in-service motor vehicle accident and a 2001 incident where the Veteran injured his back, but did not provide sufficient rationale for their findings.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment during the appeal period, and therefore his claim for a TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, which adequately reflects his functional impairment and pain.

The Board has denied a higher rating for the Veteran's back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for GERD. The case is being returned to the Board for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including DJD of the left arm and ruptured bicep tendon, residuals of a right arm fracture, accelerated cataracts, Meniere's syndrome, coronary artery disease, back condition, and neck condition. The remand also includes an attempt to verify the Veteran's alleged radiation exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The remaining issues of service connection for arthralgia, low back disability, esophageal disability, and cardiac disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability is denied as the evidence does not show that his condition meets or approximates the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability, including lumbosacral strain, bulging discs, and degenerative arthritis, is not related to service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active duty or are otherwise linked to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to lack of medical evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for his back condition and granted it, finding that there is a reasonable possibility that his current back condition is related to his in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for back disability, bilateral hip condition, and neck disability due to insufficient evidence. The claims are pending further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various knee, shoulder, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disorders due to in-service cold exposure. Additional medical evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and bilateral pes planus have been reopened. The claim of nutritional deficiency, skin disorders, anemia, eye disorder, and headaches secondary to hypothyroidism are also being remanded.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran’s low back disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's current low back and right hip disorders are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and military service. The skin disorder may be related to service due to potential pre-existing conditions exacerbated by service.,PTSD was diagnosed based on childhood trauma, but its relationship to service needs clarification.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity neuritis. The case is also remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right upper extremity neuritis disability.