Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and is remanding the issue of service connection for a low back disorder.

The Board has determined that a new medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's low back disability, including lumbar disk disease and a low back strain, is causally or etiologically related to service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her cervical spondylosis with degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc disease, status post anterior intervertebral disc fusion C3-6 is being remanded due to the need for a medical examination to assess the frequency of incapacitating episodes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to service, and denied his claim for increased ratings for left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and an updated VA examination to reflect his current symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant post-service treatment records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to address the impact of military service on the Veteran's current conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims.

The Board found no evidence of a factually ascertainable increase in the Veteran's lumbar strain disability prior to April 24, 2013. As such, an effective date prior to that date is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining medical records.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional development due to insufficient examination report and need for a supplemental opinion regarding whether the Veteran's back disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability requires the use of a back brace and topical pain medications that cause irreparable damage to her clothing, leading to an annual VA clothing allowance for 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right shoulder degenerative joint disease and lumbar strain with spondylosis, finding that the current assigned ratings were appropriate.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disorders are related to his service-connected left above the ankle foot amputation residuals, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis/degenerative disc disease was found to not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to March 29, 2014 and 20 percent thereafter. The claim is denied.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and considering entitlement to TDIU. The issue of an extraschedular rating for lumbosacral spine stenosis with disc bulges at L3-L4 and L5-S1 will be considered in conjunction with the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded to determine if an extra-schedular rating for his service-connected lumbar strain, status post laminectomy, is warranted.

The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 40 percent prior to May 20, 2005 and remains at 20 percent thereafter. The issue of increased rating for the lumbar spine disability as of September 9, 2009 is on appeal.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a back disability, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, and bilateral eye disabilities. The evidence received since the February 1990 rating decision is sufficient to reopen these claims.