Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral foot and knee conditions and lumbosacral degenerative joint disease, all secondary to obesity caused by service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's hearing loss claim was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and nonservice-connected pension due to incomplete medical records and a need for VA examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his low back disability, including nerve damage, which he asserts was caused by injuries during service. He also seeks nonservice-connected pension benefits based on his current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for DDD lumbar spine with herniation at L3-L4 and L4-L5, left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the current disability is related to an in-service injury.

The Board has decided that the service connection claims for lumbar spine and right knee disabilities need to be reconsidered due to new evidence added to the file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back disability and peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerves due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to address the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities throughout each distinct period on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to potential worsening of symptoms. Additional examinations are needed, and VA treatment records from February 2019 to present should be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fatigue, muscle pain, numbness, and sleep disturbances are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disorder, finding no in-service event or disease and noting that any congenital defect was not subject to superimposed disease or injury.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial, compensable rating for hydrocele, status post left orchiectomy has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim during a Board hearing. The remaining issues on appeal have been remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to issues with the previous VA examinations not complying with the October 2018 and March 2022 remand orders, as well as inadequate reasons provided in the November 2019 decision.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and remanded the issue of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and bilateral hip conditions, finding that these conditions pre-existed his military service and were not aggravated by it.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations and to obtain outstanding VA treatment records. The issues of initial increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, cervical spine strain, limitation of flexion due to right hip trochanteric pain syndrome, limitation of flexion due to left hip trochanteric pain syndrome, impairment of the thigh due to right hip trochanteric pain syndrome, and impairment of the thigh due to left hip trochanteric pain syndrome are remanded. The issue of TDIU is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate prior examinations and a need for a retrospective opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is not rated higher than the current assigned ratings, and temporary total evaluations for surgeries are denied. Separate or increased ratings for left upper extremity radiculopathy prior to March 2022, or from March 22, 2022, are also denied.

The claims have been reopened, but further examination and evidence are needed to determine the nature and etiology of various disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's allergic rhinitis and sinusitis conditions, dermatitis and tinea versicolor (claimed as chronic skin rash), lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve), right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve), and right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve).

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination, as there are insufficient medical records to make a determination on service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction is dismissed. The Board has remanded multiple issues including service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus disorder, bilateral eye disorder, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), headache disorder, thyroid disorder, diabetes mellitus, respiratory disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder. The Veteran's hypertension appeal is also remanded.