Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia and arthritis are found to be related to his military service, while the neck and back disabilities are not.

The Veteran's appeals on reopening claims for low back, right knee, and psychiatric disabilities were dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hip replacements and irritable colon, have significantly impacted his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether he can perform sedentary or office work due to these conditions.

The Board has ordered the VA to attempt to locate and associate with the claims file any private treatment records, including those from a Minneapolis VAMC. The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to incomplete evidence.

The Board has found that the Veteran's PTSD is related to service and there is corroborating evidence of an in-service stressor. The low back disability claim remains pending as it relates to a period of active duty for training.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder labral tear, lumbar facet arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The Veteran's head injury residuals claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective date for the grants of service connection for residuals of a right ankle sprain and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, status post laminectomy is May 12, 2010.

The Board denied increased ratings for cervical spine mechanical strain, lumbosacral spine mechanical strain, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with musculoligamentous strain, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with musculoligamentous strain, and right shoulder tendonitis and bursitis. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder was denied as final due to lack of appeal within one year of notification.

The Veteran's left and right hip bursitis have been granted initial 20% disability evaluations, but no greater.,The Veteran's lumbar spine strain has been granted an initial 10% disability evaluation, but no greater.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability, characterized as lumbar spondylosis with L5 disc bulge and degenerative facet changes, does not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's degenerative lumbar spine disability was granted a 20 percent rating effective July 24, 2012. The previous rating of 10 percent prior to that date is maintained.

The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 20 percent prior to March 4, 2013, and upgraded to 40 percent as of that date. The claim for TDIU is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for leg, back, neck, and wrist disorders are denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is also denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative joint disease has been rated at 40 percent since February 21, 2013. This rating is based on forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine being 30 degrees or less.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed low back disability and stomach disability, as the previous VA examination did not provide sufficient rationale for its conclusions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further development. The issue of nonservice-connected VA disability pension remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including residuals of a corneal abrasion and a lumbar spine disability, are not etiologically related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for an additional VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, including any neurological component. The claim will also be submitted to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service, for consideration of whether a higher rating is warranted on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not warrant an increased rating prior to January 15, 2011, or thereafter.