Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine, right ankle, left shoulder, bilateral hip, bilateral knee, left ankle, ingrown toenail, and headaches. The claims were reopened due to new evidence related to a left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's DJD of the cervical spine and lumbar spine are related to service, and his allergic rhinitis is not found to have preexisted service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is now granted.,Service connection for tinnitus was denied. The Board found no evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for a cervical spine disability, increased ratings for lower extremity radiculopathy and lumbar spine disability, and an earlier effective date for the right lower extremity radiculopathy rating. The Veteran is also required to provide updated evidence of his need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for lower lumbar spondylosis with foraminal encroachment upon the existing L4 and L5 nerve roots at L4-L5 and L5-S1 (now claimed as spinal stenosis) has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for a thoracic sprain and remanded the issue of an initial rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran and his representative withdrew their appeals for the issues of service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, essential hypertension, bilateral renal cysts, prostate disability, high cholesterol, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and the RO must consider this evidence before readjudicating the cases.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as his entitlement to a TDIU. The examinations will also determine if there is any new evidence warranting reopening of previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection and increased ratings are inextricably intertwined with other issues, including TDIU. The Veteran's depression is remanded for a new opinion on causation and aggravation. His cervical and lumbar spine conditions, bilateral knee disabilities, and OSA are also remanded for additional examinations to determine etiology and severity.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for back condition due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its onset during service and whether it was aggravated by wearing body armor. Additional development is required.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the lower and upper extremities, cervical spine disability, low back disability, foot pain, glaucoma, and abdominal hernia. The evidence did not show any in-service onset or relationship to active service.,There were no complaints, diagnoses, or treatment records documenting these conditions during service.

The Board denied an extraschedular evaluation for the service-connected lumbar spine disability and a TDIU prior to October 31, 2006. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been rated at 40% since September 23, 2002.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and the need for an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's claimed neck and back disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a keratitis condition is denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, is granted.

The Board denied service connection for kidney stones and remanded the issue of rating an initial disability for a back condition.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.,Left upper extremity neuropathy is granted as it was diagnosed in service and continues to be shown.

Service connection for OSA is denied. An increased rating of 10 percent for GERD with IBS is granted, subject to laws and regulations governing payment of monetary benefits. A compensable rating for left little finger fracture is denied. Prior to May 20, 2014, a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine disability is denied. Since May 20, 2014, a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine disability is denied. An increased rating of 20 percent for neurological manifestations of right lower extremity secondary to lumbar spine disability is granted. A rating in excess of 10 percent for neurological manifestations of left lower extremity secondary to lumbar spine disability is granted, subject to laws and regulations governing payment of monetary benefits.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on his combined service-connected disabilities. The decision also notes that the Veteran likely cannot secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for various conditions, including hypertension, varicose veins with PAD resulting from DVT, low back disability, neck disability, CAD with MI, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, deviated left nasal septum, and malocclusion of the anterior maxilla.