Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The claim of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine and lumbar spine strain with bilateral sacroiliitis is granted. The issues of service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disability, arthritis of the left hip, and arthritis of the right hip are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate rationale in a previous VA examination, and another examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's upper back condition is related to her service-connected encephalitis residuals.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate rationale in previous VA medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder and headaches.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development and medical opinions to address his spine disabilities, including cervical and thoracolumbar conditions, as well as his left shoulder disability. The claims are being returned due to incomplete or insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability and neck disability, finding that there is at least an even balance of evidence to support these claims due to the Veteran's competent and credible lay statements regarding his in-service injury and continuity of symptoms since discharge.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's back disability and his service. The Veteran contends that his current back condition is related to incidents during active service, including carrying heavy gear and sustaining injuries from falls and IED blasts.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder due to inadequate opinion regarding whether his current condition is related to active duty service. The case will be returned to the examiner for an addendum opinion addressing these issues.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the issues on appeal, including new VA examinations and opinions to address the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent from October 23, 1992 to November 23, 1992. The Board has granted a TDIU and remanded the issues of rating in excess of 10 percent for a back disability prior to October 23, 1992, and thereafter in excess of 40 percent; initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy; and service connection for headaches.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disorder due to lack of evidence showing the condition was present during or within one year after service.,Service connection is remanded for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, as these conditions are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations and conflicting reports of his symptoms. He is required to undergo new VA examinations to determine if his intestinal condition, including hemorrhoids, and back condition are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, left foot, and right foot disabilities are not related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable from February 11, 2013. The Board found that TDIU on an extraschedular basis is warranted from February 11, 2013, but no earlier. The issue of a higher initial disability evaluation for lumbar strain resulting in multi-level spondylosis/lumbar disc disease prior to November 25, 2019, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter is remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension, right hip condition, left hip condition, obesity, migraine headaches, lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathies have not been linked to service or a service-connected disability. As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremities were evaluated separately in this decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and TDIU, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to his current back condition. The Board also found that he did not meet the criteria for a TDIU as he had no service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability is being remanded due to the need for an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of his current lumbar spondylosis.,Service connection has been granted for cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve is granted a disability rating of 40 percent, but no higher. The right lower and right lumbar radiculopathies are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his lumbar spine disability is related to service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted a 20 percent rating for the period prior to March 10, 2015 and a 20 percent rating since that date.,A 20 percent rating is granted for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability effective May 27, 2010.,Service connection for hypertension, left elbow disability, sleep disorder disability, and cervical spine disability are denied.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability meets the criteria for a 20 percent rating since March 10, 2015.