Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic right knee sprain and chronic lumbosacral sprain, both secondary to her service-connected left knee injury.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, fibromyalgia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and hypertension. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of evidence showing an intent to seek benefits prior to November 12, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disorder, but remanded the claims for service connection of other conditions including a right hand disorder, right foot disorder, right hip disorder, and low back disorder due to in-service injuries.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back disability and GERD have been remanded due to the need for further development of the evidence.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is associated with his service-connected lumbar spine condition and acquired psychiatric disorder, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's petition to reopen service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease was granted. Service connection for this condition is also granted.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction, which the Veteran contends is secondary to his service-connected PTSD and medications, is remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition, including a lumbar disc protrusion and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be causally related to his active service.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral eye condition, liver condition, back condition, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating for his service-connected scar(s) of the left shoulder, status post arthroscopy has been withdrawn and is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his status post arthroscopy with clavicle removal of the left shoulder acromioclavicular joint separation with degenerative changes and impingement (nondominant) was denied as there is no basis to award a higher disability rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for his left wrist condition and pain has been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the in-service onset of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for his back disability was also remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding the in-service onset of the condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 17, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his in-service injuries. The claims were previously denied due to lack of evidence establishing continuity of symptomatology.

Your appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to SMC at the housebound rate and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to additional evidence received since the October 2019 Board remand.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to non-compliance with previous remand directives. The issues include evaluating PTSD, TDIU effective date, and service connection for a back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his employment after April 2014 was not substantially gainful and he did not have physical or mental limitations preventing him from obtaining or engaging in substantially gainful employment prior to April 2014.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its prior remand directives and has therefore ordered the VA to make additional efforts to obtain the Veteran's missing separation examination. The issues of service connection for a pelvic disorder, hypertension, pes planus, and invertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are all remanded due to the need for further development regarding range of motion estimates. The issue of TDIU prior to September 12, 2019 is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these other issues.

The Board denied a higher rating for IVDS with degenerative arthritis and lumbar strain from June 17, 2020. The Veteran's disability was rated at least 10 percent disabling prior to that date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and loss of muscle tone on the left side of his body were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis related to these conditions, and thus did not find service connection was warranted.

The Veteran's leg disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot disability, and the Board finds that his back disorder may be aggravated by his service-connected bilateral foot disabilities. The increased rating for the bilateral foot disability remains remanded, and the TDIU issue also remains remanded.