Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lower lumbar, previously evaluated as degenerative arthritis of the spine, was reopened and granted. The effective date is set at May 1, 2018.,Service connection for PTSD was granted with a rating of 70 percent. The effective date for this grant is also set at May 1, 2018.

The Veteran's cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, along with associated radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities, are granted as service-connected.,Separate issues regarding knee disabilities remain pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder due to new and material evidence received since the March 2014 rating decision. However, further development is needed before the merits of the claim can be addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU benefits.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and rating for various disabilities, including a physical sleep disorder. The Veteran's claims are being referred back for further development.

The Board has dismissed the issue of service connection for bilateral cervical radiculopathy. The issues of initial ratings higher than 40 percent for a low back disability, and initial ratings higher than 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy and 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to the Veteran's assertions of worsening symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and remanded the issues of initial evaluations for right femur disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of medical records and incomplete evidence. The claims will be further developed with an emphasis on obtaining relevant treatment records, including from VA and private sources.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding that there is no causal relationship between his current disability and any in-service injury or service-connected condition.

The Veteran's cervical spine spondylosis with foraminal stenosis, right knee patellofemoral pain and chondromalacia, left knee patellofemoral pain and chondromalacia, and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis are all remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to address the Veteran's complaints of flare-ups and their impact on his lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate development and lack of compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's back, left wrist, and left shoulder disabilities are being reviewed for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claim for a back disability, including as secondary to a left knee disability, due to inadequate medical opinions and need for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's private medical records, and thus this case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate assistance and need for a new VA opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's lumbar spine condition and service, including its secondary nature to his bilateral knee disability.

The Board remands the claims for a back disability, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, a bilateral leg disability and an eye disability to obtain additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, lumbar-spine disorder and obstructive sleep apnea have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for acquired psychiatric disorders including PTSD, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, as well as for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension (due to presumed herbicide exposure), prostate cancer (due to presumed herbicide exposure), and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection was denied for lumbar-spine disorder and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective date and increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted a 50% rating for major depressive disorder with PTSD as of May 23, 2011, but his claim for an increase in the rating for lumbar spine disability remains pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, right ankle, left ankle, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for a vision disorder was denied as the new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for tinea cruris was denied as the new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.