Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 1, 2015. His TDIU is granted effective from that date.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to a lack of pre-1998 VA treatment records and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left shoulder disability, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and other conditions, are found to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as a truck driver. As such, the Board has granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, serous otitis media, and several other conditions were denied. The appeals for increased ratings for hearing loss and scars, as well as the effective date claims for serous otitis media and scars were also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The Veteran's low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disorders are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service symptoms and experiences.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine strain is currently rated at 40 percent, effective March 4, 2014. The appeal for a higher initial rating has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a genitourinary disorder, including dysuria and epididymitis of the bilateral testes, has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a low back disability was denied. The Board found that the earliest effective date available is May 28, 2015.,The Veteran's claim for service connection of migraine headaches was reopened and remanded due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial in August 2015.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations. The appeals will be reconsidered after obtaining missing service personnel records, post-service treatment records, and arranging for new VA examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for low back strain and left knee arthritis and chondromalacia patella, but has remanded the case for further examination regarding bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a low back disability and cervical spine disability. As a result, the Board dismissed these claims.

The Board has denied service connection for skin disability and remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability and muscle and joint pain. The Veteran's skin disability is not related to his military service, while the lumbar spine and muscle and joint pain issues require further development.

The appeals for service connection for high cholesterol, heart valve disorder, left hip disability, right hip disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and back disability are dismissed. The Veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a heart valve disorder is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, as well as service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities and a left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, hip, and low back disabilities have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The cases are now remanded for further examination and development.

The Board found that the original service connection for a lumbosacral strain was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to CUE, thus severing the award of service connection effective October 1, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for right ulnar neuropathy with numbness of the fingers has been reopened and is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a back disability has been reopened and is granted.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis (right foot) has been reopened and is granted.,The Veteran's claim for pityriasis versicolor and dermatitis has been reopened and is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, bilateral hip disorder, high cholesterol, and an effective date prior to December 17, 2014, for the award of service connection for PTSD with substance abuse disorder were denied. The claim for service connection for a back disorder was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for a bilateral hip disorder and high cholesterol were not granted as they are not related to service or deemed disabilities. The effective date for service connection for PTSD with substance abuse disorder remains at December 17, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the threshold requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, and the case is remanded for extraschedular consideration.