Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine osteoarthritis was granted, with a disability rating of 30 percent.,Service connection claims for bilateral wrist condition, bilateral hip condition, and bilateral ankle condition were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to prior examinations not testing passive motion, pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing, functional impact of pain, weakness, fatigability, or incoordination with repeated use over a period of time, and estimated loss of motion during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if his back disability and sleep apnea are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for lumbar sprain/strain and right shoulder degenerative joint disease with rotator cuff tear and labral tear including superior labral anterior-posterior lesion are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is not rated higher than 70 percent. From June 1, 2014 to December 3, 2019, the Veteran's DDD with spondylosis of the lumbar spine was granted a 20 percent rating. The Veteran's meniscal and ACL tears status post-surgery with degenerative arthritis of the right knee were granted a 20 percent rating from June 14, 2019. The Veteran's trochanteric pain syndrome of the right hip was granted a 20 percent rating starting from June 19, 2017.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's back condition and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but granted an earlier effective date of February 11, 2019 for a 10 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. However, it denied service connection for bilateral eye disability, diagnosed as cataracts.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain, left shoulder derangement/impingement syndrome, right knee limitation of extension, and right knee limitation of flexion are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's low back disability, sciatic and femoral radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and a compensable rating for a surgical scar on the back.

The Board remands the matter of service connection for a back disability due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a non-initial rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected low back disability and entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) for further development.

The Board remands the matter for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar strain.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for scar, status post L2-L3 decompression is dismissed. For the entire period on appeal, he was granted a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches. The remaining issues are remanded due to lack of recent VA examinations and potential TDIU claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for his service-connected lumbosacral strain, as there was no evidence of ankylosis or other symptoms that would warrant a higher rating.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death before a decision by the Board was promulgated.

The Veteran's back disability and PTSD are granted, but the initial rating for PTSD is remanded due to new evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's current back disability is related to an in-service fall.

The Board denied entitlement to an initial rating higher than 20 percent for service-connected lumbar sprain, and noncompensable ratings for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not related to his military service. The claim of a gland disorder was reopened but denied on the merits.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and adjudication, including service connection claims for various conditions. The Veteran's appeal is currently in the process of being addressed.