Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a back condition, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations. The claims will be reconsidered after resolving the issue of service connection for the Veteran's back condition.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability in the form of lumbar spinal stenosis and right lower extremity radiculopathy resulting from April 2010 VA lumbar spine surgery, finding that there was no additional disability.

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

The Veteran's sinusitis is rated at 30 percent effective August 11, 2021. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,A 40 percent rating for the Veteran's low back disability is granted from August 25, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inconsistencies in medical opinions and lack of complete records. The Veteran's back disorder and bilateral foot skin disorders are being reviewed again.

The Board has determined that additional records are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection. Specifically, VA and private treatment records from various sources need to be obtained.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disorders, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including degenerative disc disease with neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,The Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD, irritable bowel syndrome, and a back disability are remanded due to the absence of a copy of his Social Security Administration (SSA) decision in the claims file.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ankle, right ankle, left foot, and right foot disabilities due to incomplete records. The thoracolumbar disability claim is denied as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that it was aggravated during service.

The Veteran's service-connected MDD is granted, and his back disability remains at a 20 percent rating. The left ankle posttraumatic synovitis continues to be rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a back disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and hypertension have been denied. The effective date of the TDIU award is June 1, 2017.,Service connection was not granted for PTSD as it did not meet the criteria for direct or secondary service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical, lumbar, and thoracic spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions began during or were caused by his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from March 5, 2023, to August 3, 2023, due to his service-connected disabilities including ischemic heart disease and lumbosacral strain. The Board found that the Veteran's disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of GERD, lumbosacral strain, right, knee strain, and tinnitus are denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating prior to September 8, 2018, for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is also denied.

The appeals for increased ratings for PTSD and degenerative disc disease with arthritis have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a current disability under VA standards.,For the low back disorder, big toe disorder, bilateral lower extremity disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (mood disorder), the case is remanded as there are issues with service connection.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine with thoracic and lumbar strain is currently rated at 20 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his range of motion is sufficient to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a low back disability, as there are issues with the adequacy of the VA examination and a need for further medical opinion regarding service connection.