Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure. Service connection for other conditions, including lumbar and cervical spine disorders, right shoulder and left shoulder disorders, bilateral arm and elbow condition, left hand disorder, right foot arthritis, left foot disorder, right toe disorder (except the right great toe), and left toe disorder are granted based on presumptive service connection under the PACT Act. Service connection for other conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, including VA examinations for his acquired psychiatric disorder, neck disability, low back disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, sleep apnea, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss (for VA purposes).

The Veteran is granted an effective date of September 30, 2011 for the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities, all of which are directly related to in-service parachute accidents.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a retrospective addendum medical opinion regarding his lumbar spine disability, and consideration of TDIU.

The Veteran's Alzheimer's disease, strokes, and seizures are being remanded for additional development as they may be related to service-connected tinnitus. The back condition claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the seizures claim.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection and a rating of 10 percent from December 1, 2020. For his low back disability, he receives a 20 percent rating effective from December 1, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD is granted. The claim for service connection for a back disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with a 50% rating effective August 18, 2016. The appeal is remanded for further evaluation of the back disability and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and adjudication due to issues with the qualifications of VA examiners and the need to obtain recent medical records.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, and therefore, the appeal is being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine condition, finding that it was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee conditions and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation.

The Veteran's claim for higher initial ratings for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied. The effective date for the award of service connection is set at April 29, 2010.,For the period prior to January 24, 2011, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.,From January 24, 2011, through September 10, 2015, the Veteran's condition did not warrant a disability rating higher than 20 percent.,Starting from September 11, 2015, the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left foot, right foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to the need for further medical examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hip and lumbar spine disabilities are inadequate for purposes of adjudication. The secondary service connection opinions note an association between the Veteran's bilateral hip and lumbar spine disabilities, and his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, but find no causative relationship has been established. The Board finds this to be conclusory as the examiner has provided no rationale to support these opinions. Moreover, the examiner did not provide an opinion as to whether the claimed bilateral hip and lumbar spine disabilities have been aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. Therefore, remand is warranted for further VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete information regarding his service stressors and other medical records. The Veteran will be provided another opportunity to provide authorization for additional treatment records, as well as requests for verification of alleged stressors.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear periods of service and a need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder is related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically for bilateral knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and cervical spine condition. The Veteran's claim for back condition is also denied.,Service connection was denied for all issues due to lack of credible evidence supporting in-service incurrence or aggravation of the conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of right knee, low back, neck, and right hip disorders is granted as new and material evidence has been received. The Board finds that the current right knee, right hip, low back, and/or neck disorders are related to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for lumbosacral spondylosis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, as well as right shoulder impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tendonitis, is being remanded due to inadequate addendum opinions from VA examiners.