Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's cervical spine condition, diagnosed as degenerative changes and muscle spasm, was granted service connection.,Service connection for bilateral pes cavus with plantar fasciitis is denied. The Veteran's disability rating remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial ratings are being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a low back disorder. The case is being remanded to obtain VA audiological testing results, clarify the etiology of any current low back disorders, and determine if there is a relationship between the claimed conditions and in-service events.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining inpatient treatment records from his active duty and post-service VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete service records and unclear dates of service. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and schizophrenia are both being reviewed again, with a focus on the types of service performed during his Army Reserve and National Guard service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, a low back disability, a left knee disability (secondary to a low back disability), obstructive sleep apnea, genital herpes, and hypertriglyceridemia.,There is no evidence of in-service onset or continuity of symptoms since service for any of the conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current lumbar spine condition is related to his service, specifically a parachute accident during his first jump in 1958.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis and secondary conditions. The Board has determined that further development is needed for the claims of left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, soft tissue disorder of the legs, and cardiovascular disorders.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error in obtaining an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder with panic attacks and his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the other issues related to bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (generalized anxiety disorder) are remanded due to failure to report for VA examinations.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the appellant's claims, including obtaining his complete SSA file and VA treatment records. The appeal will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to evaluate his current back disability, as he has reported worsening symptoms and testified at his October 2020 hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU from August 22, 2015. However, his claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder disability is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to May 13, 2010.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver as there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and bilateral knee disability due to potential issues with the adequacy of the VA examination opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine DDD disabilities due to incomplete compliance with previous remands. The Veteran's right knee disability is being reviewed by an orthopedic clinician to determine its etiology and whether it caused or aggravated his left knee and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's low back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted a 20 percent rating each, effective as of the date of this decision.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 25, 2012 for service connection of a back disability is dismissed. A rating of 20 percent for the back disability was granted before January 26, 2021 and denied on and after that date.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection have not been fully addressed due to a lack of compliance with prior remand instructions. The Veteran's death prevented further action on these claims until his surviving spouse was accepted as a substitute, at which point the case was returned to the Board.