Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA spine examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and obtaining outstanding treatment records.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current back disorder and the Veteran did not have any diagnosed back problems during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a back disorder is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his right ear hearing loss and readjudication of his claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disorder and back strain did not originate in service, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of evidence showing an earlier claim was filed.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted a 20 percent rating effective February 9, 2015. The claims for bilateral femoral and sciatic nerve radiculitis were also granted with the same effective date. However, the Veteran contests the effective dates of these awards.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a video conference hearing, and the AOJ should schedule this hearing in accordance with his request.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and service connection for bilateral hip arthritis and pes planus has been granted based on their association with his service-connected back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder, including IVDS, DDD, and spondylosis, is not etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication of the Veteran's claims, including a review of recent VA examination reports and consideration of any outstanding VA treatment records. The issues will be reconsidered with respect to the evaluation of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and his entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and severity of his lumbar spine disability and bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, IHD, plantar warts, lumbar and cervical spine DJD, hip and shoulder DJD, preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed thoracolumbar spine, right knee, and left leg disabilities are not service-connected as they were either not present during active service or did not manifest within one year of service. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was incurred in service, and his lumbar spine disability warrants a 20 percent rating prior to April 9, 2014, and a 40 percent rating from April 9, 2014, to May 14, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating. The issues of TDIU prior to January 11, 2016 and separate ratings for neurological abnormalities are also denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, effective November 21, 2012. The radiculopathy of the lower left extremity and limitation of extension of the thigh due to degenerative joint disease of the left hip are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability is causally related to his active service, and grants service connection for a low back disability on a direct basis.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a low back disorder, which he contends is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Board has remanded the case for additional development.