Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine has been granted.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for cervical spine with intervertebral disc syndrome has been granted.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis has been granted.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis has been granted.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis has been granted.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed for the issues of a rating higher than 10 percent for a low back disability, a compensable rating for a low back scar, a compensable rating for a right knee scar, and service connection for asthma. An initial 50 percent rating, but no higher, was granted for an anxiety disorder.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate for the issues of service connection for a brain tumor, lumbar spine disability, sleep disorder, respiratory condition, and menstrual symptoms. Therefore, these matters are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of a back disability, toe disability, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury and was insufficient to establish continuity of symptomatology. The Board also found no evidence of chronicity within one year following separation from service.

The Board has denied a higher rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability from February 4, 2022. The case is remanded to obtain an updated VA examination and provide retrospective findings regarding the severity of the disability prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and edema of the lower extremities to include as secondary to hypertension due to inadequate opinions regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and right foot disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's request to restore a 30 percent rating for GERD is granted, effective January 1, 2019.,The Veteran's claim for a higher than 30 percent rating for GERD is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his lower back disability is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected old fracture, lumbar spine with chronic lumbosacral strain is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his disability.

The Board has dismissed all the claims related to increased ratings for various conditions, including radiculopathy, IVDS, psychiatric disability, and hearing loss. The appeal is dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that his current condition did not have its onset during active service and is not otherwise etiologically related to such service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for extraschedular consideration due to evidence of unemployability from multiple service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case to consider additional range of motion estimates for flare-ups and repetitive use over time, as requested by the Court in a JMPR. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability prior to January 8, 2014 is now before the Board again.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for back disability, left knee disability, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, left hand disability, right hand disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability due to inadequate opinions addressing both etiology and pathophysiology.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition but has remanded his bilateral knee condition claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, low back, right knee, and right leg disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during her military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle disability and lower back disability due to insufficient development of records, including VA treatment records. The Veteran is asked to provide information about his in-service injuries and any relevant medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, low back disability, lumbar radiculopathy (right and left lower extremities), PTSD, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for PTSD. The issues are being remanded to determine if there is evidence that supports secondary service connection.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right knee DJD is currently rated at 10 percent based on limitation of flexion. The Board finds that this rating is appropriate given the limited range of motion.