Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a lower back condition and movement disorder/seizures, as well as the issue of reopening a claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding VA treatment records from May 2015 forward and provide an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's erectile dysfunction, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board has denied service connection for viral mononucleosis and remanded the claims for low back disability, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever/Lyme disease, scar on chin due to shrapnel wound, cellulitis, thyroid condition, and type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's claims are now pending again with the VA.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to May 5, 2010, meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity sciatica are linked to his active service, with the private medical opinion suggesting that his service-connected knee disabilities caused or aggravated these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's service-connected low back disorder and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted the Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for a back disability and a psychiatric disability, including depression. The reopened claims are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded two issues: entitlement to service connection for an upper back disorder and entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected right knee disorder, as well as the etiology of his back disability.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and higher ratings for hypertension and lumbar disability have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient information provided by his private physician regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities. The examination must address whether any current disability is related to active service, including physical training and injuries sustained during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current VA examinations do not reflect the severity of his service-connected disabilities and therefore, new examinations are needed to determine appropriate disability ratings.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities, including left shoulder, right shoulder, low back, left elbow, right elbow, left hand, and right hand disabilities. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee is also being remanded due to a lack of recent VA examination findings.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's low back disability. The TDIU issue is also being referred to the Director of Compensation Service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and requests for authorization of private treatment records. A medical examination is also required.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease, L5-S1, to include intervertebral disc syndrome of the low back is remanded due to incomplete examination records and a need for further evaluation.

The claim for service connection of a low back disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion. The claim for increased rating of facial acne scars is also remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and bilateral foot dermatitis need further evaluation due to recent testimony indicating an increase in severity since his last VA examination. The case is being sent back for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service connected. The low back and right knee disability claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities are not related to service.,PTSD was remanded for further review.