Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for restoration of service connection for lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis effective November 1, 2017 is granted. The cases of entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD and left knee strain are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeal as to the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn. Service connection is granted for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, with the cause being service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for mononucleosis was granted. The low back and left knee disorders were denied.,Service connection for a low back disorder is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and any current condition is not shown to be related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a back condition due to insufficient medical evidence and procedural issues. A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current back disability is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for consideration of new evidence and a new examination due to procedural issues, including the need for adequate examinations for his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate examination in determining the appropriate evaluation for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The Veteran will need a new examination that complies with the requirements set by Correia v. McDonald and Sharp v. Shulkin.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability is granted. The claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for mild lumbosacral strain is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disability. The VA examiners' opinions are inadequate as they did not address rare circumstances where a knee reconstruction surgery could cause or aggravate a back condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and a need for an updated evaluation of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate for the GERD, Mallory-Weiss tear of the esophagus, and back disability claims. The Veteran's service records do not provide sufficient evidence to establish a direct relationship between his current conditions and his military service or any exposure to Camp Lejeune water. Therefore, these cases are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right hand condition is granted a rating of 10 percent, but no higher. The Board found substantial compliance with the prior remand order and continues to consider entitlement to staged ratings.,The Veteran's back condition is remanded for an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding its etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient verification of the Appellant's military service dates and duty assignments.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for updated examinations.

The Veteran's claims of increased ratings for lumbar spine, bilateral knees, and bilateral shin splints are being remanded due to the need for consideration of recent VA treatment records and examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for dizziness, blood clots, bilateral elbow disability, and low back disability have been denied. The case is remanded for further development regarding these issues.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right eye disability, bilateral foot condition, back disability, right ankle and knee disabilities, bronchitis, and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The reasons given were lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service connection for a neurologic condition of the lower extremities, claimed as nerve spasms, is denied. The claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine has been granted but not higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date prior to April 27, 2015 for service connection of a back disability is denied. The claims for left knee and right knee disabilities as well as headaches are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, vertigo, lumbar spine disability, erectile dysfunction as secondary to lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.