Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, and thoracolumbar spine disability are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an effective date of May 5, 1998, for the award of a separate rating for right knee surgical scars is granted. The remaining issues are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or aggravation and concluded that any current condition was pre-existing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings due to deficiencies in VA examinations and incomplete medical records. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, with urinary incontinence as there is no probative evidence of record demonstrating that his back condition is etiologically related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's back brace, right knee brace, and left knee brace were found to cause wear and tear on his clothing due to regular use during 2015. The topical skin cream and pain cream used for service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for a clothing allowance.,Entitlement was granted for annual clothing allowances for back brace, right knee brace, and left knee brace in 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examinations and evaluations to determine appropriate disability ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep disorder and low back injury are currently pending.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including right foot cold weather injury, left foot cold weather injury, right hand cold weather injury, left hand cold weather injury, bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, acquired psychiatric disorder, headache disorder, and low back disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his thoracolumbar strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee strain with chondromalacia and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee strain with chondromalacia. The examinations must include both active and passive range of motion testing, as well as weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing assessments.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and a low back disability are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and plantar fasciitis, respectively.

The Veteran's claims for headaches/migraines, back condition and high blood pressure have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,However, these claims are still pending as they were remanded for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has ordered a remand for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's claims, including his vertigo and back disability claims. The issues are inextricably intertwined as the outcome of these claims may significantly impact other related claims.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his lumbar degenerative disc disease and strain was denied. His claim for SMC at the housebound rate was granted, but with conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate statement of reasons or bases regarding the duty to assist in the June 2016 VA examination, specifically for passive range of motion measurements and flare-up assessments.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and there is no sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a TDIU from March 29, 2016.