Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's right knee strain is granted service connection, but her left knee strain, hysterectomy, and chronic low back pain are denied.

The Board has remanded the claim for a low back disability due to insufficient evidence regarding its origin in service. The Veteran's representative requested an additional medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her back and left ankle conditions, rendered her unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to October 9, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for a stomach disability, left ankle disability, and low back disability. The Veteran's claims were also remanded for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities.,No specific rating was assigned in the decision.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disorder, right knee arthritis, and left knee pain. The Veteran's current conditions are diagnosed as degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, and arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and other issues are being remanded due to procedural errors in the rating decisions, including failure to provide a Statement of the Case (SOC) and incomplete records. The Veteran is also requested to provide SSA records.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to additional evidence added after a previous SSOC was issued.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including ischemic heart disease, lumbosacral strain, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for service connection of COPD has been withdrawn and dismissed. The appeals for service connection of upper back/neck disability and low back disability are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbosacral strain is being remanded for a new examination to assess its current severity.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and right knee disabilities due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's symptoms are linked to his military service, but a VA examiner will need to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and a rating in excess of 40 percent for a lumbar spine disability. The claim for diabetes mellitus is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's back condition, radiculopathy, and skin condition.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple conditions including left and right shoulder tendonitis, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, left hip arthritis with subsequent replacement, right hip tendonitis, right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left and right ankle tendonitis.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied. The Board found that the current ratings did not accurately reflect his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee conditions, but also noted that there was no evidence of incapacitating episodes or ankylosis during the relevant time periods.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran is also facing a TDIU claim that is being remanded as well.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back disability, finding that her current condition is related to her active military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for further medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability prior to February 13, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities. On or after February 13, 2015, the combined rating of his service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for TDIU.