Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his current disability picture.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions including lumbar spine issues and dermatological problems. The Board has ordered a remand to reassess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to verify her periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA), schedule a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of her heat injury, migraine, heart disability, and low back disabilities, and readjudicate the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's IBS has been productive of severe impairment throughout the appeal period, warranting a 30% disability rating effective July 28, 2015.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and lumbar spine disorders, as well as whether service connection should be granted. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an updated opinion from the VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder and knee conditions, oral surgery residuals, temporal arteritis, back disability, prostate cancer, colon cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, left eye disability, and right eye disability have all been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board found no evidence of a current chronic right or left ankle disability, and denied service connection for residuals of hernia. The Veteran's eye conditions are not considered disabilities for VA purposes.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service exposure to noise, and thus service connection for tinnitus is granted. However, the Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's low back pain and his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, and denied his claim for service connection. The rating for lumbosacral strain was remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating has been evaluated at 70 percent since February 1989. The Board found that the RO correctly applied the bilateral factor and did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has ordered additional development due to outstanding records and remands from previous decisions. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the identification of relevant medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to service and cannot be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, including osteoarthritis of the right knee and residuals of a total left knee replacement. The issues of increased ratings for lumbar spine DDD and lower extremity radiculopathy have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to outstanding service treatment records and for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied, but he was granted TDIU on extra-schedular basis. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The Veteran's right foot/ankle disorder and Gulf War Syndrome claims are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. He will also be scheduled for examinations to address the nature of his cervical spine disorder, right knee replacement with post-traumatic arthritis, lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and stenosis, status-post laminectomy, discectomy, and fusion, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence, including a diagnosis of major depressive disorder during service and MRI results indicating brain abnormalities. The issues of service connection for various conditions are now considered on their merits.