Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current low back disability related to his active military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been rated at 20 percent since March 20, 2012. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the case due to need for additional VA medical examination and potential unassociated VA records.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The VA Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease (DDD), was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not presumed to have been due to his military service. The Board found no medical evidence linking the current DDD to service.

The Veteran's service-connected herniated lumbar disc, L3, status post discectomy with scar, is rated at 20 percent since September 15, 2014. His service-connected sciatica, left lower extremity, is also rated at 10 percent. The appeal for a TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the extent of his thoracolumbar spine disability and its manifestations during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar strain is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his disability and whether it has worsened.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and cervical spine disabilities are related to his active duty service, establishing service connection.,Service connection for tinnitus is also granted as it is found to be related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his intervertebral disc syndrome (previously rated as low back strain) was denied. The disability is currently rated 40 percent from July 1, 2009 and the claimant has not received a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left knee disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination and for further development of the claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The Veteran is required to undergo another VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected spondylosis of the lumbar spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is etiologically related to his active service, including an in-service fall, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are related to his active service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to November 22, 2013 was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings are being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and to schedule him for new VA examinations to address the current nature and severity of his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and his service-connected thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's lumbosacral DDD is currently rated at 40 percent, effective April 16, 2015. The Board granted a 60 percent rating for the period prior to that date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities can be decided. The Veteran's lay statements, medical records, and in-service events will need to be reviewed and evaluated.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to clarify whether he wants a Board hearing conducted by video conference or in person at the RO in Detroit, Michigan. The claims will be returned to the Board after the requested hearing.