Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neck, back, left knee, right, and left ankle disorders due to additional development being necessary.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for skin disability, anxiety disorder, low back disability, right shin splint, left shin splint, and acne. The decision found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim for skin disability, and dismissed the appeal for anxiety disorder as moot due to concurrent PTSD service connection. Service connection was denied for low back disability, right shin splint, and left shin splint.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need to obtain information about the qualifications of the examiners who provided medical opinions related to his degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum medical opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current low back disability, considering his reports of in-service parachute jumps and wear and tear on his back.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for HIV, right knee disability, low back disability, and headaches due to outstanding treatment records and a VA medical opinion on the etiology of his headache disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spondylolysis and lumbosacral strain is granted. The Board found that the current disability is related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to April 16, 2019. The Court granted a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR) due to unclear application of the reasonable probability standard under Snider v. McDonough. The case is remanded for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a back disability and remanded it to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding its etiology. The Veteran's lay statements suggest that his back problems may have existed prior to a work-related injury in 1992, while VA treatment records indicate possible aggravation by previous knee or hip disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a low back disability due to inadequate development and lack of an opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's current low back disability.

The Board has granted initial ratings of 60 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for postoperative residuals of lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has decided to remand this case for further examination to determine if additional limitation of motion or radiculopathy should result in a higher rating.

The Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, and hemorrhoids conditions are granted service connection. The Veteran's left leg and right leg conditions are remanded for further examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of a left foot injury with burns. Service connection is granted for tinnitus. The appeals for bilateral hearing loss, thoraco-lumbar spine disability, and headaches/migraines are remanded.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 40 percent from July 28, 2004 to April 11, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of documentation regarding a scheduled VA examination for the Veteran's low back disability. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition.

The claim for diabetes mellitus type II due to herbicide exposure was denied as the Veteran did not serve in or near the Korean DMZ during the relevant period. The claims for acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and low back disability are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy and TDIU were granted. The appellant is eligible to receive attorney fees based on the past-due benefits awarded in September 2018.

The Veteran's claim for right foot plantar warts is denied. The Board finds that the current record does not support a diagnosis of plantar warts as a current disability during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that there was a procedural error in the docketing of the Veteran's appeal and has ordered the issues on appeal to be remanded for readjudication.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar and bilateral knee disorders. The claims are related back to service, but the VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale in their opinions.