Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's low back disability and has remanded his claim for service connection for loss of balance secondary to tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic back disorder from service and that it is not related to his service-connected left knee disorder.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms. The Board finds the Veteran's current diagnosis of unspecified depression with anxious distress less likely related to his military service.,The Veteran's back disability is denied as there is no evidence of chronic in-service back injury, no showing of a compensable degree within one year after separation from service, and no established continuity of symptoms. The Board finds the Veteran's current diagnosis of unspecified depression with anxious distress less likely related to his military service.,The Veteran's respiratory disability (COPD) is not service-connected as there is no evidence of chronic in-service disease or injury, nor any showing of a compensable degree within one year after separation from service. The Board finds the Veteran's current diagnosis of unspecified depression with anxious distress less likely related to his military service.,The Veteran's headaches with vomiting are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after service and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms. The Board finds the Veteran's current diagnosis of unspecified depression with anxious distress less likely related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment for the periods from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 and from January 1, 2015 to March 6, 2016. The case is being referred to the Director of Compensation & Pension Service for extra-schedular consideration.

The Veteran's right ulnar nerve disorder is service-connected due to pre-existing condition that was aggravated by active duty service.,The Veteran has residuals from excision of a tumor from the right elbow, which are also service-connected.,Service connection for a back disorder is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or event resulting in such a disability.,Service connection for left arm disorders (claimed secondary to a claimed back disorder) and lower extremity radiculopathies (claimed secondary to a claimed back disorder) are also denied.

The Board denied service connection for an enlarged heart.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for chronic low back pain, to include as due to service-connected S/P excision of pilonidal cyst.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death and were not related to service. The Board also found that he was not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal as the Veteran has withdrawn her appeals.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and arthritis of the lumbar spine has been granted.,The Veteran's current back disorder is presumed to have started during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate rationale in a previous VA examination, and further development is required before deciding the issue on appeal.

The Board has found that further development is required due to insufficient medical opinions and the need for additional evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The case is being remanded for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from a March 1995 in-service motor vehicle accident and seeking an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his low back condition and right foot hallux valgus bunionectomy of the big toe with pin fixation due to the need for further development, including additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and back disabilities are granted. The Board finds that the new evidence received is sufficient to reopen his previously denied claims, and service connection is established for both conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to a withdrawal by the appellant's authorized representative.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is not entitled to a TDIU.

The Board denied a separate rating for urinary incontinence associated with the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease with IVDS and laminectomy, finding that there is no evidence of such condition.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination of his back disability and the need to obtain his Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for sleep apnea and back problems. The remaining issues have been remanded due to lack of complete STRs, need for updated VA treatment records, and need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for increased ratings for right knee PFS with calcific tendinitis, left knee collateral ligament laxity, and lumbar IVDS were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish participation in combat or corroboration of noncombat stressors.