Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, pancreatitis, and a low back disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the need for new and material evidence regarding his psychiatric disorder, as well as for VA examinations to assess his bilateral knee disabilities, sciatic nerve disabilities, and low back disability.,VA has also been instructed to schedule the Veteran for an examination to confirm any current ankle disabilities and provide opinions on their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and denied service connection for sinusitis. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is found to have begun during active duty, while her sinusitis is not related to any in-service event or disease.

The Board has decided that additional development is necessary to properly evaluate the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and determine his eligibility for a TDIU. The issues of rating the lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as determining whether he qualifies for a TDIU, are being remanded.

The Veteran's headache condition had its onset in service and has continued unabated since separation. The claim for service connection for a headache disability is granted.

The Board has granted reopening of the claims for service connection for left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, back disorder, and right hip disorder. However, these claims are still pending as they have been remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a VA examination to determine if his functional loss is consistent with ankylosis over the course of the appeal, specifically favorable or unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine. The issues are not ripe for adjudication as the appropriate rating for the Veteran's service-connected low back disability has not been determined.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection of back condition, major depressive disorder, and PTSD need further development due to lack of VA examinations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is currently rated at 20% prior to June 6, 2018 and 40% since February 13, 2020. The claim for service connection of the left metacarpal joint disability secondary to migraines remains pending due to insufficient evidence in the November 2021 VA opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating of the Veteran's right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, PTSD with depressive reaction, and TDIU due to procedural issues. The RO is required to obtain additional medical records from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, arrange VA telehealth examinations for the Veteran's disabilities, and provide a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his right knee disability.

The Board has granted reopening of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, but denied the claim on the merits. Service connection is not granted on direct or chronic disease presumptive bases.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to determine the Veteran's eligibility for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation, and to clarify her service connection claim for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Board has ordered remand for additional development regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, temporary total evaluations based on hospitalization and convalescence following surgery, and TDIU. The issues are being returned to obtain relevant records from the Air National Guard of Puerto Rico and U.S. Postal Service, as well as any pertinent VA medical records.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional development. The Veteran's claims include back, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus, hip, knee, and CTS conditions.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the right knee and lumbosacral strain as secondary to service-connected conditions, due to the effective dates of the granted benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation of his conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to procedural issues and insufficient evidence regarding his lumbar spine disability. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, but the effective date remains to be determined by the AOJ.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a low back disability due to insufficient medical evidence and an inadequate rationale in the previous VA examination. The Veteran's lay statements about his symptoms during service are considered, but further evaluation is needed.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including hearing loss, depression/anxiety (claimed as PTSD), lower back condition, headaches/migraines, and sleep apnea. The reasons for remanding these cases include needing a new VA examination due to the passage of time since the last examination, verifying stressor events in service, and considering whether the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.