Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip, knee, and back conditions. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disability, a sleep disability (including sleep apnea and insomnia), and a lumbar spine disability due to deficiencies in the opinions obtained.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, bilateral knee disability, erectile dysfunction, and heart disability. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Veteran's 1970 VA treatment records and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted as service connected. The issues of service connection for other conditions are also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability was incurred in or caused by active service, and therefore grants service connection for a low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of the Veteran's duty status during his claimed in-service injury, specifically for periods of active duty for training or inactive duty for training. The claim for service connection will be reconsidered after this information is verified.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain, finding that it is related to an injury sustained during INACDUTRA. The disability was not incurred or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability as secondary to service-connected osteoarthritis. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and the TDIU claim are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and a low back disability due to inadequate opinions in the VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that another remand is necessary to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current spinal disabilities, including lumbosacral, dorsal/thoracic, and cervical spine issues. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with IVDS and spinal stenosis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are rated at 40 percent. The appeal is granted for TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of an eye disability was withdrawn. The reduction in the rating from 20 percent to 10 percent for right ankle disability was dismissed as improper, and the original 20 percent rating is restored. The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right foot, left ankle, and low back disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbar spine disability, left and right knee disabilities, and ankle strains, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from December 10, 2009 to March 11, 2012. A TDIU was granted for this period.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's flare-ups included muscle spasms resulting in abnormal gait or spinal contour.

The Board has granted the reopening of the previously denied claims for service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, and cervical spine disorder. The cases are now remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to outstanding VA treatment records, incomplete vocational rehabilitation folder, and need for additional examinations.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal of service connection for a prostate disability and has remanded several other issues related to various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, foot, upper extremity, lower extremity neuropathies, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims are now pending again with the RO.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, headache disorder, Hepatitis C, and seizure disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine and back disabilities, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service or caused by his service-connected bilateral knee and/or bilateral foot disabilities.,Service connection was also denied for a respiratory disability due to lack of evidence showing current disability during the appeal period.