Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his anxiety disorder and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling appropriate examinations to address the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.,The Veteran has multiple issues on appeal that require further examination and review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various disabilities, including cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine with strain status post fusion, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the right hip, degenerative joint disease of the left hip, left knee arthritis, leg length discrepancy, chronic right ankle sprain with avulsion fracture and Morton’s neuroma, scar, anterior neck, nonlinear surgical scar, right shoulder, surgical scars, right shoulder, tension headaches, right inguinal neuropathy, status post inguinal hernia repair, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with mood disorder, and bruxism with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Additional examinations are needed to determine the current severity of these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including shoulder, elbow, hand, back, foot, groin, and upper/lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as depression. The appeals are being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot because her service-connected PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder has been rated at 100% since April 15, 2013. As she now receives the maximum special monthly compensation available for her disabilities, and her remaining service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for TDIU, her claim is dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% since August 18, 2018. Service connection for a low back disorder and hypertension has been reopened but denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for low back disability, bilateral hip disability, right knee disability, and neurological disability of the right leg due to new evidence received since the last denial. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a sleep disorder, bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, left knee disability, and right knee disability have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have any of these conditions at the time of his claim or since.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for service connection for a left knee condition, low back condition, left hip disability, and right hip disability has been granted.,Service connection is established for the Veteran’s left knee condition (to include residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty) as secondary to his service-connected right knee condition. Service connection is also established for his low back condition as secondary to his service-connected right knee condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including depression (claimed as PTSD), left knee patellar femoral syndrome, and left ankle tenosynovitis, were denied earlier effective dates.,Claims for service connection for lumbar strain and tinnitus were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left-hand disorder, right-hand disorder, left eye disorder, sleep apnea, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral shin splints, and low back disorder have all been denied. The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence of these conditions in the record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the underlying claims are being remanded due to additional evidence and functional impairment issues.

The Veteran's low back disability is now rated at 20 percent from June 7, 2016. His right and left knee disabilities remain at 10 percent each.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and lack of evidence. The Veteran is asked to provide additional information about his theories of entitlement.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back condition was initially denied in November 2012 due to lack of evidence linking the disability to service. The appeal has been reopened and remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and denied service connection for BPPV. The Veteran's painful scars of the left thigh are rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were not processed under the Fully Developed Claim (FDC) Program due to administrative reasons.,The Veteran’s gastroenteritis with IBS is assigned a maximum rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and she is now entitled to a 10% rating for right knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis. The claim for right knee instability has also been granted.

The Veteran's spouse was not eligible for additional compensation prior to November 1, 2013, as the necessary documentation was not submitted within one year of his combined disability rating being established in October 2002.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations due to outstanding service treatment records, need for VA examinations, and inadequate medical opinions.