Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbosacral spine has been rated at 40 percent since April 26, 2012. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of her disability based on the criteria for evaluating diseases and injuries of the spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and bilateral leg disability. The decision also noted that the issue of respiratory disability was remanded.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability is as likely as not aggravated by service and grants service connection for a low back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and thus denied all of his claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to address his claims for separate compensable disability evaluations for neurological manifestations of service-connected degenerative joint and disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine involving the lower extremities, and disc disease of the cervical spine involving the upper extremities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and severity of his back disorder, as well as to obtain updated audiological examination results. The claims will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a lumbosacral and sacroiliac spine condition, which the Board has remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether his current diagnoses are related to his reported injury in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a new VA examination to address her bilateral leg disability and back disability.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service connection claims for various disabilities, including right hip, left hip, and low back disabilities. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of these disabilities and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and the Board finds that he is capable of sedentary labor.

The Veteran's GERD, anal fissure, left knee disability, right knee disability, and low back disability have been granted increased ratings. The GERD has been rated at 30 percent effective June 25, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not service-connected, and his lower extremity disorders (varicose veins) are also denied as they do not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for a separate rating for neurological abnormalities associated with his lumbar spine disability was denied. The Board also found that the issue of service connection for a neck condition is not properly before it due to an incomplete notice of disagreement process.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's low back disability. The issue of service connection for a left hip disability will be addressed in conjunction with the low back disability claim. A TDIU claim will also be considered.

The Veteran's chronic low back pain, right upper lobe pleura disability (now claimed as tuberculosis [TB]), and irritable bowel syndrome are all found to be related to his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right thumb, lumbar spine, and right knee disorders are related to his service-connected left knee internal derangement. The Veteran is therefore granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and readjudication of the claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to address his back disability and right knee injury with osteoarthritis. The issue of TDIU has also been raised by the record.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left knee disability and low back injury with paravertebral myositis remain pending before the Board as less than the maximum benefit available was granted in a previous decision.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, which may be related to elevated blood sugar levels prior to separation from active service. Further development including VA examination and obtaining medical records are required.,The Veteran's claims for service connection of radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and erectile dysfunction remain pending before the Board as less than the maximum benefit available was granted in a previous decision. Further development including VA examination is required.,The Veteran's claims for service connection of peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities and erectile dysfunction are intertwined with his claim for diabetes mellitus. Further development including VA examination is required.,The Veteran's claims for service connection of radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and erectile dysfunction remain pending before the Board as less than the maximum benefit available was granted in a previous decision. Further development including VA examination is required.