Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's case is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing and providing the Veteran with a statement of the case regarding his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a new VA medical opinion and all of the Veteran's VA treatment records since March 2010. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his low back condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's chronic low back pain from multilevel degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, effective April 5, 2011.

The Board found that the appellant was not permanently incapable of self-support prior to reaching the age of 18, and thus denied his claim for recognition as a helpless child.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his back disability is being remanded to the AOJ due to a lack of adequate examination and because other service connection issues are still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new examination and consideration of extraschedular considerations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a new VA examination to reassess the Veteran's service-connected low back disability. The effective date claims are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with radiculopathy and spondylolisthesis is granted, but he does not meet the criteria for a separate 20 percent evaluation for left knee disability. The effective date remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his active service, as there was no evidence of a chronic condition during or after service. The examiner opined that the Veteran's current symptoms are more likely due to age-related degenerative changes rather than an in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a low back, neck, or fibromyalgia condition that is related to service and therefore denied her claims for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, right upper thigh disorder, and left foot disorder are related to his active military service. The claims for secondary service connection for the right upper thigh disorder and service connection for the left foot disorder have also been granted.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to her combined service-connected disabilities, which include migraines, radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities, thoracolumbar levoscoliosis and herniated nucleus pulposus, hypertension, coccyx neuropathy, and a scar. The Board finds that she meets the criteria for a TDIU based on her combined service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee collateral ligament strain and low back strain have been evaluated based on their current functional limitations, with no additional compensable ratings granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine had its onset in service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and low back disabilities. This includes obtaining medical records, arranging for an examination, and considering whether the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected disabilities is 50%, which does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. However, he may be unemployable due to nonservice-connected conditions (tremors, anxiety, psychotic disorder, major depressive disorder, cardiac conditions). The Board finds that this unemployability is not related to his service-connected disabilities and thus denies the claim.

The Veteran's back disability was rated at 20 percent between November 18, 2005 and November 13, 2008. The Board found that the Veteran had severe functional loss due to pain and limited motion, warranting a higher rating of 40 percent.

The Board denied service connection for back, right hip, and psychiatric disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right foot disability. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination of the spine and obtaining any outstanding medical records. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability will be reconsidered after these actions.