Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine condition, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation and is more persuasive against a secondary relationship to his service-connected varicose veins and diabetes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, left hip disability, rhinitis, sinus headaches, loss of sense of smell, and loss of sense of taste. The remand requires obtaining private treatment records from Drs. L. and B., scheduling VA examinations to assess the Veteran's claimed conditions, and providing medical opinions on the relationship between service, including exposure to herbicide agents, and the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 6, 2017 for a 40 percent rating for his low back disability. The case is remanded for further development regarding the rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is still working and has provided no evidence of unemployment.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with arthritis is rated at 40 percent from April 15, 2013 to September 4, 2018. From December 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, he received a temporary total evaluation due to convalescence following surgery. The Veteran's claim for higher ratings beyond these periods was denied.

Your appeal for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine has been dismissed due to your death during the pendency of this appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis, chronic lumbar pain, and severely damaged feet due to incomplete development of his service records. The Veteran will need further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between his current conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to service-connected lumbar DDD and LLE femoral radiculopathy. The case is being returned for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board finds that service connection for low back disability, left shoulder arthritis, and right shoulder arthritis has not been met due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disability and bilateral knee disabilities (prior to September 2022) due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has found that remand is required to obtain an updated VA examination for the Veteran's lumbar spine and radiculopathy disabilities due to worsening symptoms since her last examination in March 2019.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ratings for various knee conditions and other musculoskeletal disorders. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records from private providers that have been scanned into VISTA imaging system.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for migraines from February 10, 2011 to June 21, 2018. The remaining issues regarding the Veteran's low back disability and TDIU are remanded.

The appeal for service connection of a lumbar spine condition and associated radiculopathy is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, a back disability secondary to bilateral pes planus, right knee disability, and left knee disability (secondary to right knee) due to irregularities in scheduling examinations.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder is remanded. The appeal for bilateral hearing loss and right wrist disability rating higher than 10 percent is also remanded.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent prior to February 10, 2022, and denied a higher rating.,Prior to August 23, 2020, the Veteran's low back disability was rated at 20 percent and denied a higher rating. From that date onwards, it was rated at 40 percent and also denied a higher rating.

The Veteran's back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the spine, is found to have started during his active service and has been continuous since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for right carpal tunnel syndrome is remanded due to the addition of new VA treatment records. The TDIU claim remains pending and will be readjudicated after all evidence has been considered.