Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee and low back disabilities are not related to his period of active service. The evidence does not support an in-service incurrence or a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found no evidence of a preexisting low back disorder and denied service connection for the Veteran's low back disorder. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish secondary service connection for his left knee disorder.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service. The Board finds the VA examination opinion to be more probative regarding the etiology of his right shoulder disability.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service, nor within one year after service separation. However, the Board notes that the Veteran has reported symptoms since service and finds the VA examination opinion to be more probative regarding the etiology of his lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's lumbar spine DJD is rated at 20 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The other knee and ankle disabilities are not rated higher.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease, spondylosis, and degenerative disc disease, is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for depression and insomnia, headaches, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and kidney disorder have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of evidence, particularly regarding his sinus disorders, knee disabilities, gastrointestinal disabilities, and TBI.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including scheduling VA examinations to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability and reconsidering the claim in light of recent grants of service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral lower leg radiculopathy.

The Veteran's thoracic spine disability is rated at 40 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.,Prior to April 7, 2017, the Veteran's fecal incontinence was rated at 30 percent. From April 7, 2017, it has been rated at 60 percent.,The Veteran's recurrent right ankle sprain is currently rated at 10 percent and his right knee medial collateral ligament strain is rated at 10 percent.,None of the conditions meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability and providing an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his low back condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, including degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, was incurred in service due to a fall during boot camp. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain was rated at 20 percent prior to July 27, 2015 and upgraded to 40 percent from that date.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical records from Calvert Memorial Hospital. The Veteran's claim is being reopened due to new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability, concluding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right hip disability and is not otherwise related to an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete information and need for a comprehensive examination of the Veteran's employment capacity given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination of the Veteran's low back disability, including failure to address flare-ups and range of motion testing. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a rating in excess of 40 percent for his degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and chronic lumbar strain. The effective date for TDIU was established based on the Veteran's last day of work prior to retirement.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome have been rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating as there was no ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a cervical spine disorder as there was no evidence linking the current conditions to service, including within one year of discharge.