Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back syndrome with degenerative osteoarthritis due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the current disability is not related to active service.,Service connection for a low back disorder was remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding whether it is secondary to the service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left hip disorders as secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain with DDD and IVDS, and for erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability is denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's back, left knee, and right ankle disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one is required for proper evaluation of the Veteran's back disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various musculoskeletal conditions have been granted, including bilateral foot disorder, right hand disorder, cervical spine disorder, thoracic and lumbar spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder.

Your appeal of the denial of service connection for a back disability has been dismissed because your claim was fully granted in a June 2022 rating decision.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need to obtain additional evidence from SSA, private providers, and worker's compensation. The claims will be reviewed again with this new information.

The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, sleep apnea, lumbar spine disorder, hypertension, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right foot flat foot, and left foot flat foot. The evidence did not show current diagnoses or a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine condition is etiologically related to his active-duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted effective December 1, 2018. The criteria for an earlier effective date are not met.

The Board finds that further action is needed to determine if an effective date prior to September 22, 2016 for the award of TDIU on an extraschedular basis should be granted. The Veteran's contentions and dates of contention are not clear.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder with degenerative disc disease and associated radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities do not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as they do not result in unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes. The claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and further development is needed.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted as secondary to his service-connected low back disability. A temporary 100 percent rating for convalescence following surgery on his service-connected low back disability is also granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and lumbosacral strain as additional development is required due to new evidence added to the record since the last decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability and for TDIU due to issues with substantial compliance regarding the VA examination, as well as potential neurological impairments not addressed by the previous examiner.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss of either ear, according to VA standards. The claims for increased evaluations for service-connected right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are remanded as the Veteran should be scheduled for a VA examination to document the current severity of his service-connected disabilities. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee strain is also remanded as the Veteran should be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the etiology of any diagnosed knee disabilities.