Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a new VA examination to assess his service-connected low back and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for sleep apnea, right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral toe disability, and cellulitis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU prior to August 11, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to his service-connected low back disorder and associated peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The Board has determined that additional examinations are necessary to evaluate the current severity of these disabilities, as well as to address the etiology of the upper extremity condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's DJD of the right hand, bilateral ankles, and cervical DDD were not incurred or aggravated by service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) have been denied as new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen these claims. The remaining issues on appeal are addressed, but no rating or effective date is assigned.

The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance was denied due to the VA Medical Center (MC) in Decatur, Georgia. The denial stated that his braces did not cause wear or tear on his clothes. However, the Veteran provided evidence showing he used braces and claimed they caused damage to his clothes. The Board has ordered a remand to conduct further examination and review of the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pes planus, right knee arthritis, chronic left knee strain, and arthritis of the lumbar spine are related to his active service.

The Veteran withdrew his claims, and the Board does not have jurisdiction over these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is proximately due to or the result of an in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.,While the Veteran presented credible testimony regarding his cardiac disability, a preponderance of the evidence does not support finding that it was caused by service.

The Board has determined that the current development is insufficient to determine if any diagnosed low back disability is related to service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran needs a VA examination to clarify this issue.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's back disability and service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 30 percent from November 2005 through February 19, 2009. Since then, the rating has been increased to 40 percent for his left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed low back, right leg, left leg, and left eye disabilities are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee, right hip, and low back conditions are not related to his active service. The evidence did not show any specific injuries or diagnoses in service, and the medical opinions concluded that the Veteran's conditions were more likely due to natural aging rather than service-related activities.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 20 percent.

The Veteran does not have a current lumbar spine disorder that is related to his military service and the Board finds no evidence of such a condition in the record.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed back disability, COPD, and hypertension. The claims are being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development including scheduling a hearing, obtaining updated VA treatment records, and providing the Veteran with a new VA examination to assess his left knee disability. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.