Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for lumbar strain before a decision was made by the Board.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and secondary service connection due to lack of medical evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his military service or any in-service events.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew their claim prior to a decision.,Service connection was granted for IBS, low back disorder, and bilateral eye disorder. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD also resulted in TDIU effective September 22, 2017.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at a 40 percent rating, effective May 2, 2012. The Board has remanded the issues of right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and femoral radiculopathy for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to inadequate previous examinations. The issues of service connection for various conditions are being reviewed.

The Veteran's initial rating for cervical degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome was increased to 30 percent effective August 11, 2011. The Veteran's initial rating for lumbosacral and thoracic degenerative disc disease was increased to 40 percent effective August 6, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and opinion regarding service connection for sleep apnea and a rating higher than 10 percent for degenerative arthritis and spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine prior to May 24, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation and evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has determined that further development is needed in the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to potential issues with the adequacy of previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and needs further clarification on the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left ankle disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to obtain medical records and ensure compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Veteran's low back disability and lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 50%, 40%, and 20% respectively, effective from May 30, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, an extraschedular rating, and TDIU have been dismissed due to his abandonment of the appeals process.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA treatment records and potential police reports. The Veteran is required to provide information about any private treatment she received, including physical therapy for her back from Pivot, and authorize VA to obtain these records.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle, bilateral hip, and low back degenerative arthritis. The conditions are considered secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the issue of aggravation of non-service-connected disabilities by service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted service connection, but hypertension and other spine, hip, and ankle disabilities are not. The claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, hip, and ankle disabilities, as well as the rating of left knee disability in excess of 10 percent, and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability is currently rated at 40 percent since March 2, 2020. The Board denied a higher rating for the condition prior to that date and also denied separate ratings based on neurological manifestations.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease are currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that this rating is not higher than what is warranted based on her current symptoms.