Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient compliance with previous instructions and failure to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions regarding service connection for low back, gastrointestinal, and left knee disabilities. The Veteran's claims are not related to service or environmental exposures.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability, back disability, and right hip disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for service-connected lumbar spine strain and right knee disabilities have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, finding that it is related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is related to his active service and grants service connection for a back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left knee patellofemoral pain disorder, and chronic lumbar strain with facet hypertrophy and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) from specific dates. The claims are remanded for retrospective opinions to determine these issues.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his lumbar spine strain was denied prior to December 10, 2019. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for lower extremity radiculopathy and traumatic brain injury.,The appeal is now being remanded due to issues with the initial decision on the increased disability rating claim.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal, including the rating for lumbar spine degeneration, chest contusion, and left bicipital tenosynovitis.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70% rating, effective from the date of the decision. Other disabilities are also addressed and rated appropriately.

The Veteran was granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis for the period prior to March 31, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's neck disability, including cervical spondylosis, was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.,The Veteran's back disability has been denied as his claim for an increased rating was not supported by a current VA examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the claim for an increased rating for PTSD remains denied.,PTSD was previously granted a 70% disability rating effective October 11, 2016. The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date, which has been denied.,The Veteran's back disability is rated as 20%, and the claim for a higher initial rating remains denied.,TDIU prior to October 11, 2016, was previously denied, and this issue remains unresolved.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability. The claims of entitlement to increased ratings for various disabilities, including OSA, CAD, diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and TDIU prior to March 2, 2018, are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pneumonia has been dismissed as the claim was recharacterized and granted in a previous rating decision.,Service connection for heart arrhythmia is denied. The Board found that there is no persuasive weight of evidence to support the Veteran's contention that his current condition is related to military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been denied as the evidence does not show flexion or extension limited to a compensable degree.,Service connection has been granted for low back pain with limited motion, but not for left hand disability or right hand disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay contentions about his knee injuries during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a disability manifested by fatigue, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, for VA compensation purposes. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate nexus opinions and incomplete development of in-service stressor and treatment records.