Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the service connection for a low back disability, including injuries sustained during basic training and National Guard service. The Veteran's current condition is being evaluated by a VA examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and right and left radiculopathy in the lower extremities required regular aid and attendance, warranting special monthly compensation (SMC) based on this need.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected right lower leg disability. The claims for PTSD, TMJ/bruxism, and PFB are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back condition due to duty-to-assist errors and insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to October 19, 2011. The case is being remanded for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of the evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, qualifying for TDIU. His obstructive sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine but does not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations used to rate the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are inadequate and remanded for further examination. The issues of rating higher than 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, rating higher than 10 percent for right knee strain with lateral and medical collateral ligament strain, status-post meniscal repair, service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tear, and service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for new examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as his lower left extremity radiculopathy. The issues are related due to their interrelated nature.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, rating higher than 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability, and rating higher than 10 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to new evidence presented.

The Veteran's service-connected left hip, low back, and left lower extremity disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance. The grant of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance moots his claim for housebound status.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, cervical spine disability, and lumbosacral spine disability, all of which are deemed to have begun during active duty.

The Board denied increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and left knee strain, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not meet criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board has remanded this matter for a new VA examination to determine its current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to pre-decisional errors in the rating decision.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing of VA Form 10182.

The Veteran's PTSD with sleep impairment is rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 9411.,The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 10 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's low back condition may be related to his service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease with meniscal tear, chondromalacia, and tendinopathy. However, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, the case is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion addressing causation and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back condition.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis has been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his claims before a decision was made.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition, finding that it was aggravated during his active duty training period in 1987.