Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a right knee disability and bilateral pes planus was reopened, and the claims are granted. The left ankle, lumbar spine, and wrist disabilities as well as OSA remain denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for additional medical records.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Sleep apnea has also been granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, right shoulder disability, lower back disability, bilateral hip disabilities, left ankle disability, and bilateral knee disabilities. The effective date of these grants is July 18, 2018. However, the TDIU claim remains pending as it was not formally filed in conjunction with other claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back condition is reopened, but the issues regarding bilateral hand fungus are still pending and need further examination.

The Board has denied service connection for a back disability, type II diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, dementia, and psychiatric disability. The Board found no evidence of continuous or recurrent symptoms since separation from active service.

The Veteran's current degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine is related to his in-service back injury, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain and bilateral lower extremities peripheral neuropathy, effective July 26, 2007. The evaluations are subject to the statutes and regulations governing the payment of monetary awards.

The Veteran's disability rating for degenerative disc disease, status post fusion L4-L5 and sacroiliitis right side was restored to 40 percent effective October 1, 2014. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder and lumbar spine disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, low back disability, bilateral ankle disability, right foot disability, and left foot disability. The AOJ will obtain updated medical records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the severity and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and cervical spine disorders due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's assertions, private medical opinions, and lay statements support a link between his current conditions and in-service incidents.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea and lumbosacral strain is granted. The Board found that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and his active service, with no specific evidence indicating an onset during service but noting symptoms present during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s tinnitus had its onset during active service and will resolve the benefit of the doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete records, particularly from his time in prison.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for the merits of the claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for migraine headaches prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's back disability is presumed to be related to service, and the Board finds that it was incurred in active service. The psychiatric disability (depression) is not secondary to the back disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.