Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his secondary service connection claims for various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, left knee, left shoulder, bilateral hips, bilateral thighs, partial loss of use lower extremities, right upper extremity radicular pain, and femoral radicular pain.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and denied service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to major depressive disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability.,These issues are now being remanded to obtain additional evidence and opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in a November 2020 Appeals Satisfaction Notice.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and left eye disabilities due to insufficient evidence on file. The Veteran's assertions regarding the onset of these conditions during service are considered, but a VA examination is needed to determine their etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral spine disability, bilateral foot disability (pes planus), and recurrent left shoulder disability due to inadequate examinations. Further evaluations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of rating excess of 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability and rating in excess of 10 percent for incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity prior to January 11, 2020. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5242.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for low back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as the TDIU claim due to inadequate examination findings and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain and radiculopathy do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating prior to February 4, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for various knee, ankle, and back disabilities as well as COPD. The Veteran's pre-existing left knee condition was not aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of a current disability related to his right knee or ankles that can be linked to service. Service connection for COPD was also denied due to lack of exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and osteopenia, which may be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 18, 2014. The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 18, 2014 for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities based upon extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for an effective date of August 31, 1988 for service connection for lumbosacral strain and spondylolisthesis of L5 on S1 due to pre-existing conditions aggravated by service.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities since June 18, 2013.

The Veteran's hypertension requires continuous medication for control but has not been manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or a history thereof, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more. Therefore, his claim for an increased rating is denied.,The Board finds that the evidence does not support service connection for low back disorder as secondary to left ankle disability or diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability is remanded due to insufficient examination regarding pain and range of motion.

The Veteran's right knee strain, lumbar back strain, fibromyalgia, Raynaud's disease, and shoulder disabilities are all granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection for the lumbar back strain is set at August 1, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal for individual unemployability prior to January 14, 2021 is dismissed because the claim has been fully granted and there are no further issues in controversy.