Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it was clearly and unmistakably pre-existing prior to service and aggravated during service. The low back disability claim is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied because he failed to provide the necessary information regarding his employment and educational history, which is critical to supporting his claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding lower back pain, left leg injuries, and PTSD.,The Veteran is also seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, which he contends was caused by a 2005 incident during his first period of active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected low back and cervical spine disabilities due to incomplete medical records and insufficient examination findings regarding the severity of the conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issues of service connection for right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, and a compensable rating for migraine headaches.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of a right shoulder disability, temporary 100% evaluation for lumbar spine with radiculopathy, and residuals of inguinal hernia surgery have been dismissed.

The Board has restored the Veteran's ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and hypertension to their previous levels, finding that the reductions were improper.,Both the reduction in rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine from 40% to 10%, and the reduction in rating for hypertension from 20% to 10%, are being restored.

The Veteran's service connection claims for basal cell carcinoma, a low back disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the low back disability have all been granted.,The Board found that the Veteran's BCC began in service, his low back disability was related to an in-service injury, and his right lower extremity radiculopathy is secondary to his low back disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a disability of the lumbar spine, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. However, the cervical spine disability is not considered secondary to the service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities, on their own, did not result in unemployability. The evidence showed that the Veteran's inability to work was due to multiple nonservice-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including to consider the ameliorative effects of medications on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and to determine whether an effective date earlier than June 5, 2013 is warranted for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back pain, hearing loss, and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since September 4, 2014. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion, and additional development is required.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right knee osteoarthritis with medial meniscal tear residuals and total knee replacement residuals, and left knee osteoarthritis with medial meniscal tear residuals. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to February 13, 2012 is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is related to service.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 100 percent for Meniere's Syndrome, but denied effective dates prior to January 1, 2008 for the grants of service connection for low back disability, right hip disability, and left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy.

The claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, low back condition, lower extremity radiculopathy, otitis, and hiatal hernia were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,New evidence received since the previous decisions related to sleep apnea, rhinitis, and sinusitis has been found material as it supports a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal was improperly docketed and remands the case for issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing his claim for service connection for a low back condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for thoracolumbar strain with degenerative joint disease, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a higher than 10 percent rating based on forward flexion and combined range of motion.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine and lower back disorders due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion, requiring new opinions from medical professionals.