Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder is related to her in-service injury and finds service connection for lumbar multilevel degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease with spondylolisthesis and instability in flexion (claimed as low back injury residuals) is warranted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and reopening of previously denied claims were denied. The Board found that new evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen his claim for service connection for a deviated nasal septum.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records, particularly regarding his left leg and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 20 percent prior to February 25, 2014 and increased to 40 percent on or after that date. The TDIU claim is granted effective October 7, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his headaches, low back disability, and lower extremity neurological disabilities.

The Board has ordered additional examinations and remanded the case for further development regarding service connection claims, including gastrointestinal disorders, low back disability, and major depressive disorder.

The Board has ordered an exhaustive search for service records the Veteran reported he submitted to a VA examiner in 2007. The case is remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's skin condition and hearing loss have been reopened. The Board has granted a 10% rating for his right ankle scar, but the remaining claims are still pending due to additional development needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, right and left ankle, and bilateral knee disorders are related to his military service. The acquired psychiatric disorder is also found to be related to his in-service parachute jumps.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant VA treatment records and verify his periods of service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 80% to 20%, effective July 1, 2012. The claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU is pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his service-connected hearing loss, and thus service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims of service connection for back and neck disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for separate ratings for neurological manifestations of his service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities due to unclear findings in the record regarding whether these symptoms are related to the service-connected conditions or other disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new opinion on the issue of service connection for bilateral pes planus. The other issues are also being remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine/low back disorder, colon disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The new and material evidence claims have also been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition other than PTSD, a back disability, and a right hip disability. The evidence did not support that these conditions were related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service diagnosis of unstable back and spondylolysis.

The Board granted increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The psychiatric disability was rated at 70 percent from March 18, 2014, forward.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate notice and scheduling of VA examinations for his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities. The case is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with associated radiculopathy was evaluated, and the RO found that a rating in excess of 40 percent is not warranted. The temporary total rating for hospital treatment from November 27, 2011 to February 29, 2012 was granted. Separate ratings for left lumbar radiculopathy (20%) and right lower extremity radiculopathy (20%) were assigned.