Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative changes with IVDS and radiculopathy of the femoral nerves were not found to warrant a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The evidence did not show sufficient impairment for higher ratings.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to his combat experiences in service and the benefit of doubt has been applied, granting service connection for PTSD. The left knee increased rating claim will be remanded due to lack of Correia compliant examination. The right knee and lumbar spine claims are also remanded as there were no proximate cause opinions provided.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records related to his 1996 diagnosis of tendonitis and treatment from a civilian doctor.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression. The Veteran is granted service connection for this condition, as it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings of his lumbar spine disability has been denied. The VA determined that the current assigned ratings adequately reflect the severity of the disability.

The Veteran's tinea pedis has been rated at 10 percent, but no higher. Service connection for bilateral pes planus and hallux valgus (claimed as bunions) is denied. Service connection for a lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to determine if service-connected back and hearing loss disabilities contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back condition, a right shoulder disability, and a cervical disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board found that there was no in-service event or injury related to these disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and left knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a right arm disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to inadequate VA examinations in determining entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss and back condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's PTSD claim was reopened based on new evidence but still denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The evidence received since the April 2005 denial relates to these conditions and provides a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to service connection and rating of a lumbar spine disability, as well as clarification regarding memory problems secondary to multiple sclerosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an abdominal muscle disorder was denied. The claims of increased ratings for lumbar spine DDD and left hip DJD, as well as the claim for increased rating for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were also denied. Service connection for tinea pedis (athlete's foot) was granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or keeping employment prior to March 5, 2014. The Board found that the Veteran's substance abuse disorder was a contributing factor material to his disability determination and thus he has not been disabled within the meaning of the Social Security Act at any time from the alleged onset date through the date of this decision.

The Veteran's eye/vision disorder is not related to service, and his cervical spine disability and degenerative joint disease are not directly related to service.,Service connection for the Veteran's current diagnosed conditions has been denied.

The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence that any service-connected disability caused or contributed to the Veteran's death from metastatic transitional cell cancer.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with DJD and DDD was granted a 40 percent disability rating effective October 25, 2012.,From October 25, 2012 to November 14, 2016, the Veteran's disability rating for her lumbosacral strain with DJD and DDD was increased from 20 percent to 40 percent.,After November 14, 2016, the Veteran's disability rating remains at 40 percent.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of January 23, 2008 for the award of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The claim for a higher rating for lumbar osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine remains pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran's macular degeneration and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 are not service-connected. The ankle conditions have been rated appropriately, but the Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his disabilities.