Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's tinnitus and sleep apnea are granted service connection, while a 50% rating is granted for his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The issues related to these conditions have been resolved.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for dizziness and low back disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar strain is rated at 40 percent, and her exercise induced asthma is rated at 30 percent. The claim for TDIU was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and chronic mycotic infection of the left foot.,Service connection was also remanded for bilateral shin splints.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment since September 1, 2017. Effective September 1, 2017, a TDIU is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back disability and left leg sciatica due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there is no evidence of chronicity since service and the current diagnosis is not related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate VA examination and inconsistent medical opinions.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of plantar fasciitis (claimed as left foot pain) due to a withdrawal request from the appellant. The appeals for higher ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis are remanded.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine is granted as service connected. The claim for a neck condition is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's neck disorder, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine with left cervical radiculopathy, had its onset during his active-duty service and is now granted service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, OSA, cervical spine degenerative joint disease with radiculopathy, left ribs contusion, right elbow strain, bilateral hand strain and degenerative arthritis (other than posttraumatic) of the bilateral hands, and low back degenerative disc disease have been granted.

Effective dates of June 1, 2006 for LLE radiculopathy and April 13, 2015 for RUE and LUE radiculopathy have been granted.

The Veteran's obesity and heart murmur claims are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service.,Service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, lumbar spine stenosis, and Barrett's esophagus cannot be established due to incomplete medical records. The Veteran needs to provide authorization for VA to obtain these records.,The Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction claims are remanded as the current opinions do not address whether they are related to service or service-connected non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.,Service connection for lumbar spine stenosis and Barrett's esophagus cannot be established due to incomplete medical records. The Veteran needs to provide authorization for VA to obtain these records.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities are being remanded due to outstanding records and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various spinal and knee disorders, as well as a sarcoma of the neck. The VA will conduct further development to obtain relevant records and provide additional examinations to address the issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there is no competent evidence linking his current condition to his active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran served as an infantryman with multiple parachute jumps, which may be relevant to his current conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and bilateral hip disorders, as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee and foot disabilities. The VA examinations were inadequate, and additional addendum opinions are needed from a medical professional with appropriate expertise.