Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations and medical opinions regarding his back disability, left hip disability, and whether he is unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination report from a VA examiner, which did not adequately assess functional limitations and loss of range of motion due to pain or during flare-ups.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is granted a 20 percent rating prior to September 28, 2016. The issue of entitlement to service connection for lower extremity radiculopathy is not currently developed or certified.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and lumbar spine disability, finding that the conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, bilateral hip and leg disabilities due to a lack of adequate examination reports. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether any diagnosed low back disability was at least as likely as not incurred in service or related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back and bilateral knee disabilities are related to his military service, with current disability established and a link between in-service injury and symptoms found. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claims of chronic prostatitis and low back pain, and remanded the issues of increased ratings for left knee strain, chest pain, and tension headaches.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for referral for extraschedular evaluation and consideration of new evidence. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the low back is being remanded due to inadequate examination and missing records.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the combined disability rating not meeting the schedular requirements, and his service-connected back disability and PTSD prevent him from securing gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, but the decision does not specify which conditions or disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder, back, and left hip disabilities that pre-existed the Veteran's military service but were aggravated by her service. The bilateral knee disability was found to have been incurred in-service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and rating for various disabilities, including neck disability, low back disability, right foot disability, residuals of a head laceration, headaches, depression, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU. The Veteran's STRs may be incomplete, and additional searches are needed. A VA examination is required for psychiatric disorders, headaches, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not more nearly approximate limitation of motion to 30 degrees or less or favorable ankylosis.

The Veteran's cervical, lumbosacral, left shoulder and right shoulder disabilities have worsened since her last VA examinations in February 2012. The Veteran is also seeking a TDIU based on these service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for right foot plantar fasciitis, right ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, benign prostatic hyperplasia and hypertension, acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction (ED), left foot plantar fasciitis, bilateral onychomycosis, eye disorder, left ankle disorder, back disorder, and tinnitus have all been denied. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's back disability, as there is no evidence of a VA examination prior to the March 2018 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including a new VA examination with a neurosurgeon or neurologist. The issues of service connection for cervical disorder, bilateral upper extremity disorder (neuropathy), and fecal and urinary incontinence secondary to back disability are referred for adjudication.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and radiculopathy of both lower extremities are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied. A 20 percent disability rating has been granted effective July 7, 2014.