Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a new opinion regarding whether his cervical spine disability is secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine and/or bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether his acquired psychiatric disorder, TBI, gastrointestinal disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, bilateral lower extremity disability, and back disability were caused or aggravated by VA care.

The Board dismissed the appeals for a higher rating in excess of 10 percent for esophagitis with Barrett's esophagus and hiatal hernia, service connection for diverticulitis, generalized arthritis, bilateral upper extremities CTS, and service connection for left Achilles tendon condition. Service connection was granted for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with dextroscoliosis and residuals of a left Achilles tendon rupture.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including low back disability, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), and eczema, have prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to February 22, 2013. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease with facet arthropathy and left knee patellofemoral syndrome with osteoarthritis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for a low back disability, left-hand finger disability, and hypertension. The AOJ is to provide medical opinions on each issue.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability and remanded his claim for bilateral lower extremity numbness.

The Veteran's low back disability is remanded for further development, including obtaining his service records and hospital records from Tuy Hoa Air Force Base.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and for a new VA examination. The Veteran's back disorder will need to be evaluated again.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, specifically a VA examination that tests active motion, passive motion, as well as range of motion with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of residuals of gall bladder removal, left hip disability to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability, right hip disability to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability, and weight loss, to include as a Gulf War Syndrome.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for increased ratings for chronic low back strain with degenerative disc disease is remanded due to a lack of response to a request for waiver of review by the Agency of Original Jurisdiction.

The Board has remanded all service connection claims for bilateral knee conditions, tailbone condition, bilateral foot conditions, right hip condition, back condition, and right shoulder condition due to missing military personnel records and incomplete STRs. The Veteran's lay assertions of in-service causation are also considered.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for the lumbar spine disability, earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits, and SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability, finding that the current condition is related to an in-service incident where he was run over by a truck. The decision also reopened the previously denied claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a recurrent lumbar spine disability and an increased rating for PTSD should be remanded due to the need for further medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and a compensable rating for a scar, status post right inguinal hernia repair.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, diagnosed as a lumbosacral strain. The claims for right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU due to inadequate examination reports. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee condition, lumbar spine condition, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and sleep apnea to allow for further development. The issues include determining the severity of the left knee condition, whether a lumbar spine condition is related to service, whether PFB was incurred in service or aggravated by a pre-existing condition, and whether sleep apnea is related to service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.