Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that it is etiologically related to his active service.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the claim for service connection for a low back disability due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Veteran's chronic lumbar strain is found to have begun during his service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability is reopened and the claims for service connection for a back disability, a heart disability, hypertension, and a temporary total evaluation for a left knee disability requiring convalescence are all remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, ankle, and low back conditions due to inadequate examinations. The matter is also remanded for a new examination regarding his sleep condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating for thoracolumbar muscle strain, a TDIU prior to January 16, 2014, and for additional development of her lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and a need for further development, including obtaining medical records from Millington, Tennessee military hospital.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives regarding service connection for back condition. Another addendum VA medical opinion is needed to address the Veteran's lay statements about symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death, and no service connection decisions were made.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service motor vehicle accident and rigors associated with his military occupational specialty.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient analysis in a previous VA opinion regarding the Veteran's low back disability. The case needs further development and an updated medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between her current condition and either her active service or her service-connected right knee strain.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability and residuals of sciatic nerve paralysis, left side and right side due to outstanding medical records not being obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his secondary service connection claims for various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, left knee, left shoulder, bilateral hips, bilateral thighs, partial loss of use lower extremities, right upper extremity radicular pain, and femoral radicular pain.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and denied service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to major depressive disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability.,These issues are now being remanded to obtain additional evidence and opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in a November 2020 Appeals Satisfaction Notice.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and left eye disabilities due to insufficient evidence on file. The Veteran's assertions regarding the onset of these conditions during service are considered, but a VA examination is needed to determine their etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral spine disability, bilateral foot disability (pes planus), and recurrent left shoulder disability due to inadequate examinations. Further evaluations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of rating excess of 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability and rating in excess of 10 percent for incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity prior to January 11, 2020. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5242.