Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case to further develop evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current low back disability is related to service.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder is found to have been incurred in service. The VA examiner diagnosed osteoarthritis of bilateral feet, but did not find a current diagnosis for the left shoulder disability or low back disability. Service connection was granted for the right shoulder and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during military service, and because the Veteran had filed a timely appeal on these issues. The CUE claims regarding the September 30, 2008 rating decisions are now moot.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the criteria for a temporary total rating based on convalescence following his left knee surgery in June 2011 are not met. The issues of PTSD, right shoulder condition and low back condition are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action, including a TDIU referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, reflecting limitations in range of motion and functional impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his current back conditions are related to service, including reported calf pain and combat experience. The case will be readjudicated after the examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues and will schedule a videoconference hearing for the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for OSA, gout, or DDD of the cervical spine. However, the Veteran was granted an increased rating for radiculopathy affecting the right hand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for asthma and hemorrhagic follicular cyst, as well as her claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, low back condition, bilateral leg/foot condition, residuals of a left elbow injury, and chest condition. The Board found that there was no evidence of chronic conditions or injuries during service that could be linked to the current disabilities.

The Veteran's neck disability is being remanded for additional development to determine its etiology and whether it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for a service-connected low back disability and a service-connected right knee disability are remanded for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, including degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease. This includes obtaining private treatment records and VA examination.

The Board granted service connection for multilevel DDD of the lumbar spine with a 40 percent rating effective August 11, 2011. The Veteran's right foot numbness was found to be analogous to radiculopathy and rated accordingly.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his claims, including obtaining private treatment records. The case will be reviewed again after these actions are completed.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal with respect to all issues prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA vocational rehabilitation records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of entitlement to increased evaluations for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease status post decompression surgery with residual scar, prior to April 27, 2012, and beginning April 27, 2012.

The Board found that the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or any other service-connected condition that would support a grant of service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The Veteran was denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, chronic headaches, recurrent lumbar strain, sciatica of both lower extremities, and sleep apnea.