Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the VA examination is inadequate and remands both issues for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is granted a 10% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied for other conditions.,Bilateral hearing loss and bilateral plantar fasciitis are not service connected.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right hand condition, tinnitus, headaches as secondary to head/nose injury, lower back condition, and cervical spine disability due to an error in docketing under the AMA system.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of back condition and right knee disorder before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her DDD of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 4.71a or 8520.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, cervicothoracic spine pain with cephalgia, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and left hip conditions. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these disabilities and military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, neck disability, left knee disability, psychiatric disability, skin disability, respiratory disability (to include asbestosis), tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not meet the regulatory threshold for these disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal regarding his service-connected low back disabilities and associated radiculopathy of the bilateral sciatic nerves requires additional evidence and examination. The TDIU appeal is also remanded for further development.

The Board has found the issues of TDIU and SMC to be remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a vocational assessment and reviewing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a disorder manifested by high cholesterol has been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal. The Board has remanded issues regarding back disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than service-connected persistent depressive disorder), bilateral eye disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from June 7, 2017, to May 17, 2018.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his neck and left upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities have been dismissed as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding records of VA treatment that should be obtained and added to the claims file. The Veteran's complete and updated records of VA treatment should be requested and associated with the claims file.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's low back disability, right shoulder disability, and TDIU claim prior to December 17, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, and the Board found no basis to assign an earlier effective date.

The Board has denied service connection for low back and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are not related to military service.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative joint disease was previously denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 4, 2019. Effective from November 4, 2019, the disability is rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the ratings and service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, bowel incontinence, left foot disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him physically or mentally unable to engage in substantially gainful employment prior to December 11, 2018. Therefore, TDIU is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and SMC due to loss of use of his feet, as these matters are inextricably intertwined with his claims for service connection for his back and bilateral nerve and foot disabilities.