Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected post-surgical scarring is found to be painful, warranting a separate rating of 10 percent. The claims for increased ratings for the low back disability and GERD are remanded for further examination and consideration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for the provision of VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for back, hip, and knee disabilities. The Board has determined that additional records are needed to fully evaluate the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left knee disability and service connection is denied. For the lumbar spine disability, the Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the condition and service, thus granting service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to evaluate the severity of his back condition and determine if he experienced incapacitating episodes in the past year. The SMC at housebound rate claim is also deferred pending resolution of the rating claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back and left knee conditions, were not of such severity prior to March 13, 2012, to render him unemployable. Therefore, an earlier effective date for the TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance in 2014 was denied because his knee braces do not qualify as a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance that tends to wear or tear clothing, and the medication used does not cause irreparable damage to outer garments.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's left knee, right knee, and low back disorders as secondary to his service-connected left ankle disorder. The right ankle disorder was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, including lumbar strain, a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of prostate cancer, bilateral leg condition, sleep apnea, and headaches. The effective date for these benefits is July 25, 2013.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back diagnoses are more likely caused by cigarette/nicotine use and wear and tear in a repetitive fashion over the years unrelated to service, rather than an in-service injury. As such, the preponderance of evidence is against the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities warrant an extra-schedular disability rating, as the current schedular ratings do not adequately contemplate the collective impact of his conditions.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability has been rated at 20 percent since October 1, 2004 and increased to 40 percent effective March 30, 2012. The cervical spine disability was also rated at 30 percent as of February 22, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder as secondary to his service-connected right knee disabilities and denied entitlement to a higher rating for his lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease and spondylosis.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for cholelithiasis, splenectomy residuals, liver disorder, low back disorder, and disorders of both knees. However, the Board has not reached a final decision on whether these claims should be granted.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining new evidence and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of whether a TDIU is warranted on an extra-schedular basis, as well as adjudication of the SMC claim. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and back disability are significant factors in his inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's initial increased evaluation for low back strain, rated as 10 percent prior to November 20, 2012 and as 20 percent since then, has been granted. The effective date is not specified.