Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, is caused by an in-service accident and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder, but denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for spondylosis of the lumbosacral spine is dismissed as he opted-in to the modernized review system.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, lumbar myositis (back condition), and left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with lumbar myositis due to incomplete personnel records and insufficient information regarding the severity of his conditions. The Veteran will need to provide legible DD-214 and other personnel records, and an additional VA examination is required.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic disability manifested by dizziness and loss of balance, a back disability, and radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Board denied service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine, IVDS with residual scar, and left leg sciatica as these conditions did not have their onset in service or are otherwise unrelated to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations and for obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip strain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with scoliosis. The TDIU claim prior to January 12, 2015 is also granted due to the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for stomach disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and sleep apnea have been denied. The Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for coronary artery disease has been granted with a rating of 60 percent effective since February 26, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic musculotendinous strain of the cervical spine and chronic musculotendinous strain of the lumbar spine as secondary to a left ankle disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a right foot disability, but the claims for neck and back disabilities are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, lower back, and left foot disabilities due to their secondary nature to a service-connected right ankle disability. The remand requires an addendum opinion addressing whether these disabilities are proximately due or have undergone any incremental increase in disability due to the service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 40 percent prior to March 13, 2020 and at 50 percent thereafter. The Board denied an increased rating for this condition.,Service connection for PTSD was granted but a higher rating remains denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions. The effective date of any grant is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities necessitate the need for regular aid and attendance, warranting special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The housebound criteria are dismissed as moot.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, swelling of the face, bilateral knee disability, varicose veins, blood clots, and a back disability. The remand requires additional medical examinations and records review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including depression, lumbar spine disability, intervertebral osteochondrosis, C3-C4, C6-C7, bilateral hearing loss, parotid gland neoplasm, and peripheral neuropathy have been granted with effective dates of May 20, 2011.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has also been granted with an effective date of January 30, 2009.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease, was granted a 10 percent initial rating for the period from August 15, 1968 to March 3, 1999.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy were denied increased ratings. The effective date for the 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy was denied, as was a prior effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic prostatitis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from December 15, 2005.