Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection of RLE neurological disorder, LLE neurological disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder. However, it denied service connection for a right ankle disorder due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent effective August 19, 2011. The initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and the initial ratings in excess of 40 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are denied. A TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a rating of 20%, but the lumbar spine degenerative arthritis remains at 20%.

The Veteran's TBI and sinusitis have been granted service connection. The lumbar spine, right shoulder, left knee, right knee, left eye, and left kidney disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during active duty and have persisted since. Service connection for a lower back disorder is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of his service-connected lumbar spine disability, and the Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, lumbar spine disability, and erectile dysfunction. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine prior to August 1, 2017, and on and after that date. The remand is due to the need for new VA examinations as per Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017).

The Board has denied service connection for varicose veins of the legs, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and back disorder. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information provided by the VA examiners regarding the Veteran's reserve service treatment records and his contentions about when his low back pain began.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his sleep apnea and conducting VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbosacral spine and left lower extremity disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for PTSD is dismissed. The appeals for sleep apnea, left knee condition, right knee condition, and right hip condition are remanded.

The Board has determined that there is not a complete record to make decisions on the Veteran's claims for service connection. Additional VA examinations are needed to address the Veteran’s history of back pain, kidney disease, psychiatric disorders, and sleep issues.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative changes with stenosis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not linked to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if an earlier effective date for TDIU is warranted due to service-connected disabilities, as the current grant of TDIU was from July 19, 2010. The Veteran's combined rating for service-connected disabilities did not meet the threshold for TDIU in some periods prior to July 19, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thoracolumbar strain with focal degenerative disc disease L5-S1, finding that it is related to an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing medical records and requests for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability, hypertension, and heart disorder due to additional development of the record being necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lower lumbar degenerative disc/joint disease, a lumbar strain, and post-laminectomy syndrome due to in-service back injuries. The appellant's medical records from the University of Michigan Arthritis Clinic need to be obtained.