Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has granted the petition to reopen service connection for a lumbar spine disability and remanded the issues of service connection and TDIU.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a lower back condition, to include as secondary to service-connected right hip injury, must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Veteran's initial rating for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to August 14, 2017 and on or after that date. The Veteran's right knee disability was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to June 28, 2013.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40% since August 14, 2017 and her right knee disability is rated at 20%.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic low back pain, attributing it to a lifting injury during Army Reserve service in 1981.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, right knee disability, and gastrointestinal disability. The Veteran's symptoms have been present since his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back disability and multiple lipomas, as well as service connection for a cardiac disability. The rating for the back disability was found to be inadequate, while the evaluations for the multiple lipomas were granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to issues related to service connection for right and left knee disorders, which are claimed as secondary to a service-connected low back strain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence and for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, right hip, and left hip conditions as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of bilateral stress fracture calcaneus.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The issues of entitlement to a left shoulder disorder, an increased rating for right shoulder degenerative arthritis, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remain pending.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a back injury is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence.

The application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder is denied. The case has been remanded for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's pelvic floor dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his low back disability and TDIU due to new evidence submitted after the April 2004 rating decision.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis effective August 17, 2009 due to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The decision also acknowledges the impact of other conditions and non-service connected disabilities on employment.

The claim for service connection for a low back disability has been reopened, but the issue of entitlement to secondary service connection remains remanded. The rating and temporary total convalescence ratings for the right ankle disability are also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for TDIU prior to October 24, 2018 and from October 24, 2018. The decision found that the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities but not during the period of a temporary total evaluation or since he received a combined schedular rating of 100%.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a back condition has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a chronic lumbar spine disorder, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder disorder, bilateral hip disorders, and neurological disorders of the upper extremities, as there was no evidence showing these conditions were related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability required surgery on June 26, 2013. The Board found that the surgery was for a service-connected condition and that it necessitated at least one month of convalescence. Therefore, the Veteran is entitled to a temporary total evaluation based on this surgery.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability was denied as the evidence did not show flexion of the thoracolumbar spine limited to 30 degrees or less, ankylosis, or incapacitating episodes.