Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, lumbar strain, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeals.

The Veteran's right knee disability is not service-connected as it did not originate in service or within one year of discharge, and is not otherwise etiologically related to service.,Service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) cannot be established as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of GERD.

The Veteran's claims for extraschedular ratings and TDIU were denied as her service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for such determinations.,The Board found that the Veteran’s service-connected conditions, including lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and major depressive disorder, are adequately contemplated by the current schedular ratings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues with examinations and development of his claims. The claims are being returned for further development, including VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active duty service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a cervical strain (claimed as neck pain and degenerative disc disease) is denied. The Board found the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a cervical spine disability, and his symptoms are related to his already service-connected fibromyalgia.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations regarding these claims were inadequate and remanded for further action. The Veteran's hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye blindness, back disability, right hip disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left ankle disability, and psychiatric disability (depression) are all being reviewed due to their inextricable connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, eczema/sarcoidosis of the skin, a lumbar spine condition, and a pulmonary condition due to outstanding medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded three issues: sleep apnea, cervical and lumbar spinal damage, and seizures. The Veteran's service-connected TBI is also being examined to determine its current severity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from finding and maintaining gainful employment since the filing of his claim in June 2005.

The Veteran's claims for clothing allowances due to the use of bilateral knee braces, back brace, and wrist braces have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a clothing allowance as his service-connected disabilities do not result in the requisite loss of use of hands or feet, nor are his braces certified by the Under Secretary for Health or designee to cause wear and tear on articles of clothing.,The Veteran's claims were remanded due to missing records including the September 2017 decision, April 2018 Notice of Disagreement, Statement of the Case, Substantive Appeal, and Application for Clothing Allowance forms.

The Board has remanded the claims for reopening service connection for various disabilities due to incomplete records and new evidence is needed.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes meeting the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that an addendum medical opinion is needed to adjudicate the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to VA medical treatment in September 2003, as there are conflicting opinions regarding whether allograft and autograft bones were used during the surgery.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to service. The Veteran contends he injured his back lifting heavy artillery shells during service and self-medicated with over-the-counter pain medicine afterwards.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development to address the severity of his bilateral knee disorders, neurological abnormalities associated with service-connected lumbar spine disorder, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected low back condition.

The Veteran's DDD with IVDS of the cervical spine has been rated at 30 percent since January 21, 2020. The Board is remanding this issue for further development.,The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to January 21, 2020 remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The lumbar strain and spondylosis, cervical spondylosis, tonsillectomy, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are all rated at 40 percent.