Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for additional medical inquiry and commentary due to conflicting evidence regarding the Veteran's low back disability. The service connection claims for shoulder disability and hypertension are also being remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim for back disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability did not have its onset during active service and was not caused by active service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disability, including degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbar strain, was not incurred in service. The evidence did not show chronic symptoms within one year after separation from service or otherwise etiologically related to service. Service connection for a back disability is denied.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent disabling effective October 12, 2017. Prior to that date, the disability was not shown to warrant a higher rating.

Effective May 22, 2013, the Veteran is granted a 100 percent rating for unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine. The earlier claims for increased ratings remain denied.

The claim for service connection of a low back disability and depression has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The appeal is granted on these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling compensation and pension examinations. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen his service connection claims for various conditions has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of all issues on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of balance, colon cancer, diabetes mellitus, eye disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The evidence did not show a chronic disability manifested during or within one year after service, nor was there any medical opinion linking these conditions to service.

The Board has decided that the claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU are remanded due to new evidence being added to the record without proper readjudication.

The Veteran's back disorder is denied as not related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's low back and radiculopathy disabilities have worsened since his last VA examination in February 2011. The Board has ordered additional development to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is granted. The Board finds that the probative evidence is at least at relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s current low back disability is etiologically related to his active service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a back disability due to new and material evidence submitted by the Veteran. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA spine examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for a back disability. For the other conditions, the Board determined there was no in-service injury or disease related to these disabilities.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and asthma are inadequate. The claims must be remanded to obtain new examinations with proper opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded two issues: entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic low back strain with degenerative arthritis and entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran needs to provide VA treatment records from the period November 2009 to present, complete a VA Form 21-4142 for all medical facilities he has been seen at during the appeal, and undergo an examination for his low back and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability as secondary to his service-connected left hip disability due to lack of evidence showing that the current condition was caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition.

The Veteran's chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, diagnosed as GERD and esophagitis, are the result of his active service. His left knee disorder, kidney disorder, low back disorder, and hepatitis B have also been found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his right knee disability, as well as his TDIU claim are being remanded due to the need for additional development.