Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate prior examinations and failure to consider certain factors in the rating decisions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to April 11, 2019. Effective April 11, 2019, the Veteran is entitled to TDIU based solely on his left ankle disability and SMC for aid and attendance due to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective October 9, 2008. The Board also denied the claim for an extraschedular TDIU prior to October 9, 2008.,Prior to October 9, 2008, the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's back condition, bilateral foot conditions (pes planus and plantar fasciitis), and asthma have been granted service connection.,Additional claims for generalized arthritis and acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete records from Baynes-Jones Army Community Hospital. The issues of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and right leg disability, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disability, are still pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, diabetes mellitus, lumbar spine osteoarthritis, lichenoid dermatitis, bilateral cataracts, and bilateral hearing loss, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to September 17, 2015.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for an updated examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with service connection for a back disability and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims are currently under review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no causal relationship between his in-service injury and his current condition. The evidence did not support chronicity of symptoms following service.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with intermittent spasms is rated at 20 percent effective July 16, 2009. His tinea pedis (severe athlete's foot) is also rated at 20 percent effective July 16, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), type II diabetes mellitus, and lumbar spine condition. The Veteran's claims for diabetic retinopathy, erectile dysfunction (ED), and hypertension are being remanded due to the lack of a rationale in the existing medical opinions.,The Board has not assigned a disability rating or effective date as these issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right ankle disorder has been withdrawn. The Board has also dismissed the claims for increased disability evaluation for right wrist fracture, back disorder, numbness of feet (presumably related to herbicide exposure), acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), left knee disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and hypertension due to inadequate medical opinions addressing the Veteran's credible statements of continuous symptomatology since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remands. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability is being remanded for further development and an addendum VA opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that his current condition is not related to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neck, back, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions due to in-service injuries. The claim for erectile dysfunction secondary to the back condition is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine condition was denied, and the effective date for the separate rating of left lower extremity radiculopathy was set at June 24, 1997.

The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia is rated at 10 percent, and his lumbar spine disability with radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities is rated at 60 percent. A separate 20 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy due to service-connected lumbar spine condition has been granted, as well as a separate 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy due to service-connected lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU benefits.