Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions due to insufficient medical opinions addressing continuity of symptomatology from service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition, bilateral hip conditions, and a back condition as secondary to his service-connected left knee condition. The VA examiners provided negative nexus opinions regarding these claims.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral foot disability, back disability, left knee disability, upper thigh disability, skin disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has granted an initial increased rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability, effective from October 1, 2006. The case is remanded due to inadequate examinations and other procedural issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability. The case will be returned for further development and readjudication.

The appeal for an increased disability rating for service-connected lumbar spine disability is remanded due to the need for additional VA medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine DDD, right lower extremity neuropathy and radiculopathy, and right hip DJD are all granted with specific disability ratings. The TDIU is also granted from March 20, 2016 to October 4, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine and bilateral knee disorders, as well as bilateral hearing loss due to the need for further medical evaluation and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and neck disability, finding no evidence of such conditions being incurred in or related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection of a low back condition. The claims for service connection of right shoulder, right hand carpal tunnel, and sciatica conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied a compensable rating, as the condition did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.,Service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and left elbow disorder were both denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disability, which is secondary to a left ankle disability. The case will be reviewed with a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's back disability is proximately due to or made worse by his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, but denied his claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disorder, and right hip disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal to obtain medical nexus opinions regarding the etiology of his thoracolumbar spine disabilities, including spina bifida occulta. The AOJ must ensure that VA fulfills its duty to assist and obtain updated treatment records.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted with a 20 percent rating from February 24, 2017 to July 9, 2020. The remaining issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of low back disability and granted a 10 percent rating for right finger/hand disability. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is no longer before the Board as they were previously granted. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in a prior decision regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination. The new examination must address whether the right hip disability is related to the lumbar spine disability, distinguish between intrinsic impairment from other causes, and determine the total duration of incapacitating episodes during the past 12 months.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to August 20, 2019 and in excess of 70 percent thereafter has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated a 50 percent rating prior to August 20, 2019, and a 70 percent rating from August 20, 2019.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to August 20, 2019 is still pending.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected chronic low back strain with degenerative disc disease and a TDIU prior to September 21, 2017 are being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and a new VA examination. The outcome of these claims may impact the TDIU claim.