Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

An effective date earlier than August 27, 2012, is granted for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a temporary total evaluation (100 percent) for a service-connected back disability surgery is denied because the claim was filed more than one year after the medical procedure.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for urinary tract infections, bilateral foot disability claimed as plantar fasciitis, right knee strain secondary to her service-connected left knee disability, and lumbosacral strain secondary to her service-connected left knee disability. The appeals are all resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The low back disability was readjudicated and granted service connection, with the opinion that it is at least as likely as not related to peacetime service. Service connection was denied for vision disorder, kidney disorder, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for high cholesterol, hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), sleep apnea, lumbar spondylosis with disc disease, left thumb condition, right wrist condition, and right shoulder rotator cuff tear have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.,The Veteran's claims for high cholesterol, hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), sleep apnea, lumbar spondylosis with disc disease, left thumb condition, right wrist condition, and right shoulder rotator cuff tear have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and radiculopathy, right lower extremity as it lacks jurisdiction due to concurrent elections.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for HPV was reopened, granted. Service connection for HPV was also granted. The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis received a 30 percent evaluation from October 1, 2019 onward.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain has been rated at 20 percent since February 25, 2009. The effective date of this rating is granted.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar strain with degenerative changes is granted a disability rating of 40 percent effective April 14, 2021. Service connection for MDD as secondary to service-connected disabilities is also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for thoracolumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Board denied an extension of a temporary total evaluation for convalescence following surgery on August 26, 2009 due to lumbosacral degenerative disc disease (DDD). The Veteran's need for convalescence beyond November 30, 2009 was not supported by the evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The claims were reopened due to new evidence provided by the Veteran.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and remanded the issues of service connection for a left hip disability. The case is being sent back to obtain medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was incurred during or as a result of her periods of active service, and whether it is at least as likely as not that the current left hip disability had its clinical onset during service.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his back disability was denied, and the effective date for TDIU was set at November 30, 2010. The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were each granted an initial 20% rating.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination.

The Board has granted service connection for trochanteric pain syndrome of the left hip, right hip, and lumbosacral strain as secondary to service-connected PTSD on an aggravation basis.,Service connection was also granted for diabetes mellitus and hypertension as secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 17, 2012.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain, finding that it is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.