Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% effective October 29, 2008. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective April 19, 2009.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, knee, back, neck, and shoulder conditions due to new evidence. The issues of increased ratings for asthma, migraines, PTSD, and service connection for right knee, neck, trapezius disorder (claimed as back and neck trapezius strain and a right shoulder disorder), thoracic outlet syndrome, bilateral pes planus, metatarsalgia, and left foot tendonitis are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lower back (also claimed as osteoarthritis of the spine) because there was no evidence showing it had its onset during active duty, within one year after separation from service, or was otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA is required to obtain Social Security Administration records and schedule the Veteran for additional examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 13, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to inadequate VA examinations, lack of proper testing in previous examinations, and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and left knee disabilities, as well as their impact on his bowels and bladder. The rating assigned will be determined after further examination.

The Veteran's MDD and lumbar and thoracic spine strain have been granted service connection, with a rating of 70 percent for the latter since December 5, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the current condition is not related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions have been granted with effective dates based on when he filed his claims, not necessarily when the disabilities were first diagnosed or treated.

The Veteran's appeal to receive an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected back disorder has been withdrawn by the appellant and their representative.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a brain tumor, back disorder, and hip disorder. The decision is based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any other factors.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been evaluated at 10 percent for the period on appeal. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain a retrospective VA examination and determine the severity of the Veteran’s service-connected lumbar spine disability prior to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, except for prostate cancer, do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted service connection. The claims for acquired psychiatric disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a retinal tear of the right eye is denied as there is no current disability and no evidence of an in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for hearing loss of the left ear is granted due to credible reports of noise exposure during active duty and currently diagnosed hearing loss.

The Veteran's right wrist tendonitis has been granted a 10% initial rating, effective prior to January 5, 2017.,Prior to April 30, 2016, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a 20% initial rating. From April 30, 2016, his radiculopathy and sciatica of the left lower extremity were granted a 20% initial rating.,From April 30, 2016, the Veteran's radiculopathy and sciatica of the right lower extremity was granted a 20% initial rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, left wrist, and lumbar spine disabilities due to new evidence submitted since previous denials. However, it is not granted as these conditions are not found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable evaluation of his scar, residual of back surgery is dismissed. Service connection for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is granted. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected thoracic degenerative disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine remains pending.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee and upper respiratory conditions. The lower back and foot disabilities are denied as there is no medical evidence linking them to service.