Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The effective date of the decision is not specified.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective April 29, 2009. Service connection for a low back disorder has not been established due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service. The issue of TDIU was not addressed as it was not certified for appeal.

The Veteran's low back disability, including low back strain, is found to be service-connected. The Board also granted service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy based on the evidence of record.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disorders, neurological disorder of the lower extremities (cramps, numbness, radiculopathy), and cervical spine disorder are secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. Service connection for these conditions has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's stroke is not etiologically related to his active service or service-connected disabilities. The claim for secondary service connection for a stroke remains denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disorder contributed to or aggravated his obesity, which in turn contributed to or aggravated his low back and bilateral hip disorders. Therefore, the claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn with respect to tinea pedis. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the low back disability is related to service, and granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine.

The Veteran's hypertension, tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss have been rated appropriately. The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted as there are no degenerative changes of the spine within one year of separation from service. No other claims were decided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed left hip, left leg, right leg, and back disorders are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service. As such, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that there were no communications prior to July 7, 2009 indicating a claim for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,Service connection was denied for both conditions as there is no evidence of a chronic disability present during service, and no current disability due to service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability prior to May 23, 2016, and a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter was denied. The current evaluation is 20 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted, and his bilateral hearing loss claim remains denied. The low back disability issue has been remanded for further examination. Service connection is established for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. Other claims remain pending.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability is denied. The appeal seeking an earlier effective date prior to December 4, 2003 for the award of a 20 percent evaluation for his service-connected lumbar spine disability is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities were denied as there was no evidence to support a finding that the disability picture more nearly approximated the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and chest pain/myocardial infarction (MI) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are sufficiently severe to render him unable to maintain any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his occupational background, and grants a TDIU.

The Veteran is entitled to a permanent and total service-connected disability rating based on individual unemployability since August 26, 2008. Effective January 13, 2011, the Veteran's TDIU claim was granted.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his musculoskeletal low back condition to include degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with spondylosis and associated radiculopathy was denied. The Board found that a rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted since June 23, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, with the exception of a granted 20 percent disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy.