Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine DDD and associated left leg radiculopathy are being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current level of severity.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a low back disability and a psychiatric disorder, as well as the claim seeking compensation per 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for hypertension resulting from inadequate VA treatment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service injury. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a back disability, which he claims was aggravated by an in-service injury while carrying heavy bottles.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability and left knee/leg disability, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions began during or were related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back disorder and a lack of relevant private treatment records. The claim will be returned for further examination and consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient consideration of all relevant in-service treatment records.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and granted service connection for headaches, major depressive disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. The cervical spine disability claim remains denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for asthma, hypertension, GERD with small bowel obstruction, and lumbar strain as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in an August 2018 written statement.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent and no higher, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Service connection has been granted for major depressive disorder secondary to service-connected PTSD.,Joint pain (bilateral knee osteoarthritis), neck disorder (cervical spine arthritis), and back disorder (lumbar spine arthritis) have not met the criteria for service connection as they are not shown to be related to service or within one year of separation from service.,Left ankle disorder, vision disorder (refractive error of the eye), bilateral hearing loss, shortness of breath, and sleep disorder have not been established as service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Heart disorder has not met the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, and her right shoulder disability claim has been reopened. The right shoulder disability remains denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome and cervical degenerative disc disease have been remanded for further evaluation due to reported worsening of symptoms.

The case is being remanded due to technical errors in the previous processing, and a VA examination of the Veteran's back is needed.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders, low back disorder, right ankle disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The case is remanded for additional examinations and development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and unspecified depressive disorder associated with his back condition are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional information from Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities do not meet the criteria for service connection on a direct basis due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's low back disability is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed condition. The examiner must also provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not that any diagnosed low back disability is directly linked to the Veteran's claimed exposure to radiation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep disorder (to include sleep apnea), cold injury residuals of the hands, low back disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, stroke, craniotomy, and headaches have been denied. The cases are remanded to obtain clarification on the Veteran’s periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA, and for further medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service back injury and continuous symptoms since separation.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for an additional back disability caused by the laminectomy surgery conducted in April 1984 is denied, and his service connection claim for sciatica claimed as secondary to lumbar spine disability is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability as the evidence did not show they were incurred in or related to service.,The Board also denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disability (left and right ankles) and for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy.