Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left knee patellofemoral pain disorder, and chronic lumbar strain with facet hypertrophy and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) from specific dates. The claims are remanded for retrospective opinions to determine these issues.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his lumbar spine strain was denied prior to December 10, 2019. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for lower extremity radiculopathy and traumatic brain injury.,The appeal is now being remanded due to issues with the initial decision on the increased disability rating claim.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal, including the rating for lumbar spine degeneration, chest contusion, and left bicipital tenosynovitis.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70% rating, effective from the date of the decision. Other disabilities are also addressed and rated appropriately.

The Veteran was granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis for the period prior to March 31, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's neck disability, including cervical spondylosis, was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.,The Veteran's back disability has been denied as his claim for an increased rating was not supported by a current VA examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the claim for an increased rating for PTSD remains denied.,PTSD was previously granted a 70% disability rating effective October 11, 2016. The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date, which has been denied.,The Veteran's back disability is rated as 20%, and the claim for a higher initial rating remains denied.,TDIU prior to October 11, 2016, was previously denied, and this issue remains unresolved.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability. The claims of entitlement to increased ratings for various disabilities, including OSA, CAD, diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and TDIU prior to March 2, 2018, are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pneumonia has been dismissed as the claim was recharacterized and granted in a previous rating decision.,Service connection for heart arrhythmia is denied. The Board found that there is no persuasive weight of evidence to support the Veteran's contention that his current condition is related to military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been denied as the evidence does not show flexion or extension limited to a compensable degree.,Service connection has been granted for low back pain with limited motion, but not for left hand disability or right hand disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay contentions about his knee injuries during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a disability manifested by fatigue, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, for VA compensation purposes. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate nexus opinions and incomplete development of in-service stressor and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD, specifically due to exposure to TCE and bronchitis during service.

The Veteran's spine and sciatic nerve radiculopathy conditions are remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various hip and knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the onset and etiology of these conditions during or related to his military service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent prior to December 16, 2014, and at 40 percent thereafter. The appeal for higher ratings has been denied.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent, effective January 30, 2014.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy was initially granted a 20 percent rating from January 30, 2014 to January 3, 2020.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar osteoarthritis, finding that new and material evidence was not received since the June 2017 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate October 2021 VA examinations. The Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service symptomatology need to be addressed by new VA examinations.