Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's back disorder is caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disability, specifically considering antalgic gait and abnormal weight-bearing posture.

The Veteran's right and left leg sciatica have been rated at 20 percent prior to April 23, 2014, and 60 percent after that date. The Board denied the claims for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and right shoulder disorders were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent for either condition.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing updated VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional examinations and for the issuance of a Statement of the Case addressing service connection for a left shoulder disability and increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his thoracolumbar strain was granted, and he is now rated at 20 percent. Since September 15, 2013, the Veteran has been awarded an additional 10 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with his service-connected thoracolumbar strain.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and right shoulder disabilities, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the Veteran's ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not service connected, but his low back disability has been rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines. The TDIU claim was granted on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine is not related to her service, and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has denied all service connection claims as the evidence does not establish a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis have been granted with a separate 30% rating. The remaining issues, including the reopened back and right knee claims, were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, finding that a reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for separate ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities from April 7, 2016 is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a current disability of the cervical or lumbosacral spine, and there is no evidence of chronicity within one year after service separation. The Veteran's fibromyalgia was also not incurred in service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a low back disability due to any incident of his active duty service or that was caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral sacroiliitis. The preponderance of evidence reflects no current inflammation of the Veteran's sacroiliac joints.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in permanent and total disability due to loss or use of both lower extremities, blindness in both eyes with only light perception plus the anatomical loss or use of one lower extremity, or other conditions that preclude locomotion without aids. Therefore, his claim for specially adaptive housing has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his military service or his service-connected right knee disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records and a VA examination of the Veteran's service-connected low back disability.