Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection claims for various knee and back disabilities as they are related to sleep apnea and hypertension, due to the Veteran's death.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding increased disability evaluations for anxiety disorder and lumbar spine DDD, as well as the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for antisocial personality behavior disorder (claimed as intermittent explosive disorder), PTSD, and sleep disorder secondary to PTSD. The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for lumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are granted based on evidence showing a nexus between current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical opinions and new evidence. The claims include bone, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, right hip, left hip, and left foot disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the case is remanded to determine if he has a separate disability from his service-connected radiculopathy and whether he was exposed to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder, back, knee, and pulmonary issues, have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.,An increased rating claim for right shoulder condition was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, right wrist disability (including carpal tunnel syndrome), cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have all been denied.,There is no evidence of a current disability in any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from January 2, 2008 onwards. Prior to this date, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence supports the readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, which was previously denied. The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is now granted as it is at least in equipoise with his contention that he incurred this condition during his military service.

The Veteran was granted an effective date of May 8, 2008 for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to service-connected disabilities.,The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 29, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar bulging discs L3 to S1 levels and denied service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the extremities (bilateral upper and lower extremities), bilateral hip trochanteric bursitis, and bilateral patellofemoral syndrome with joint osteoarthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to adjudicate the issue of entitlement to a TDIU from August 21, 2008, to February 24, 2012, including on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The Veteran's lumbar spine and neck disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for further evaluation of the Veteran's lower back disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for upper back and right knee disabilities have been dismissed as the Veteran's representative withdrew their appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint and disc changes of the lumbar spine, is related to his active military service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his lumbosacral strain and whether he qualifies for TDIU.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being remanded for a determination on whether it is related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for a lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy of the lower extremities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show ankylosis or other conditions warranting a higher rating, and the criteria for a higher rating under IVDS were not met.