Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral knee condition and back condition are being remanded for further development.,Additional evidence or clarification is needed regarding the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for a hip disorder and xerostomia, and remanded the cases of lumbar spine disorder, left foot disorder, right foot fracture, and TDIU. The Veteran is required to undergo further examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of his claims, including a VA addendum medical opinion regarding TMJ disorder and bruxism.

The Board has granted restoration of a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, effective November 8, 2013. The appeal regarding total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Veteran's back disability and related radiculopathy are being remanded for further evaluation, while the TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricable link with his back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (degenerative disc disease of L5-S1 and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity) render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU effective June 14, 2010.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of low back pain due to new and material evidence. The acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as secondary to sleep apnea. TDIU is granted based on combined disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD, insomnia, back disorder, left ankle disorder, heart disorder, lower intestinal disorder, and hemorrhoids. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left tibia stress fracture, hypertension, IBS with fecal leakage status post laparoscopic cholecystectomy, sciatic nerve impairment of the right lower extremity, and sciatic nerve impairment of the left lower extremity have been remanded for further review.

The Board dismissed the appeals concerning entitlement to service connection for a low back condition, right knee and lower leg condition, PTSD, and granted the appeal for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left and right knee disabilities have been reopened, and he is now entitled to a 20% evaluation for each shoulder disability. Service connection for the lumbar spine disability has not been established.

The Veteran's increased ratings for lumbar spine disorder and tinnitus are denied as the evidence does not show unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or intervertebral disc syndrome with incapacitating episodes during the past 12 months.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's right hip disability is rated based on limitation of flexion and external rotation. His low back and neck disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to physical and mental impairments, which has been granted for special monthly compensation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence. The claims of service connection for other disabilities remain remanded for additional development.

The Board restored the Veteran's disability rating for his lumbar spine strain with mild degenerative changes from 10% to 20%, effective March 1, 2016. The evidence did not show sustained improvement in the Veteran’s ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain with mild degenerative arthritis, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology within one year after service and attributing the current condition to a motor vehicle accident several decades post-service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee, upper extremity radiculopathy, and osteoarthritis. The issues include a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee limitation of flexion prior to March 2, 2017, and from March 2, 2017; compensable ratings for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy; and compensable ratings for right and left upper extremity disabilities. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include scars, osteoarthritis of the knee, degenerative disc disease at C4-C5 and C5-C6 levels, and neuritis of the infrapatellar cutaneous nerve.

The claim for service connection for chronic low back pain (claimed as degenerative thoracic spine) is granted on a direct basis, as the evidence does not establish an in-service injury or disease and continuity of symptomatology is not shown.