Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his back disability is denied. A 20 percent rating is granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and a 20 percent rating is granted for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine condition, BPH, lupus, hypothyroidism, hypertension, pulmonary disorder, and kidney condition. The decision also granted TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for a left testicular strain but denied service connection for a low back condition. The issue of entitlement to SMC based on housebound status is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right hand disorder, a low back disorder, and a right leg injury due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, gastrointestinal (peptic ulcer disease), and prostate disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an addendum VA medical opinion to address service connection for lumbar spine disability, orthopedic injury autoimmune reaction, and piriformis syndrome.

The VA has restored the appellant's 20% rating for hepatitis C, effective February 29, 2016. The other service connection claims are denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Board has remanded the cases for a VA examination to determine if any identified knee disabilities had their onset during active service or are related to any incident of service, including the documented October 1966 automobile accident.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's lower back disability claim is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition began during active service or is related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied as there are no significant changes in hearing thresholds shown in the records and the Veteran did not report any complaints of tinnitus until after military service.,The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as there was no record of complaint or treatment for tinnitus during active service, and the Board finds that it is more likely related to post-military events.,The Veteran's right knee disability claim is denied as his current condition does not appear to be related to an in-service injury or disease. The remanded issues of bilateral shoulder conditions will impact this decision.,The Veteran's right shoulder condition and left shoulder condition claims are both remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left foot pes planus and low back disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence to support pre-existing conditions or aggravation during service. The Board also found insufficient evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea but has remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus. The issues of service connection for a right hand disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability (including scoliosis), and spina bifida have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for herniated intervertebral disc with degenerative disc disease is denied.,The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for right and left lower extremity, lumbar radiculopathy from March 11, 2020 are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete SSA records and other procedural issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding the Veteran's low back disability prior to October 18, 2015. The claim will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability but has remanded the issue of service connection for low back discogenic disease due to lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's back disability is proximately due or aggravated by his neck disability.

The Veteran's left shoulder condition, right shoulder degenerative changes, and lumbar spondylosis are granted service connection. The Veteran is also granted an initial rating of 20 percent for his right shoulder condition prior to November 16, 2017, and a separate rating of 40 percent each for his left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment since February 1, 2018.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, to include lumbar strain. The appeal for an initial compensable disability rating prior to May 19, 2022, and in excess of 30 percent thereafter for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's right knee disability and whether his claimed left knee, back, and left shoulder disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.