Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain new medical opinions for the Veteran's neck, back, and bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate previous opinions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lower back condition was not incurred or aggravated during active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran seeks effective dates earlier than March 7, 2012 for the grant of service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Board finds that entitlement to such an effective date is not warranted as the earliest effective date allowed by law is March 7, 2012.,The Veteran also seeks increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine disability (back disability), degenerative joint disease of the left knee, and traumatic left knee injury with post-operative instability. The Board finds that entitlement to such increased ratings is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine and Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Ankle.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral foot disorder, including plantar fasciitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc and joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to an effective date of January 25, 2013 for the award of service connection for a left knee disability. The claims for migraine headaches, lumbar spine disability, and right knee disability have been reopened.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was incurred in service and aggravated by his military duties. The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with VA examinations to determine if his back disability and left lower extremity disability are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or causation for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service personnel records and any outstanding VA treatment records. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective September 29, 2011. The right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 10 percent prior to April 20, 2015, with a separate 20 percent evaluation for the right lower extremity radiculopathy beginning July 21, 2015. The Veteran's eczema is rated at 30 percent effective April 9, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disorder due to inaccuracies in the July 2012 VA examination report and insufficient consideration of relevant medical evidence. The case is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been rated at 20 percent since April 7, 2015. The right and left leg radiculopathies have each been rated at 10 percent since August 5, 2011.

The Board has requested additional medical opinions and is remanding the case for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not causally related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis with left leg numbness and left knee arthritis are at least as likely as not related to service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea and back disorder (scoliosis) are not service-connected, with no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness at entry. The right knee disorder claim is pending as its rating status is unknown.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the claims for increased ratings were not granted. The conditions, including hearing loss and sleep apnea, did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for low back syndrome with degenerative changes and bilateral lower extremity numbness is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board granted an increased rating of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss and confirmed the effective date of June 10, 2010 for service connection of a back disability.