Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease as a progression of the Veteran's pre-existing back strain, and for right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to his back condition. The decision is based on clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran had a pre-existing back condition prior to service and that it was not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, and if so, whether this resulted in sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, status post discectomy is remanded for further development due to the need for retrospective medical opinions regarding functional loss during flare-ups and after repeated use over time.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion in a previous VA examination. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is being reviewed again for proper consideration of his statements and contentions.

The Board dismissed all claims of service connection and rating appeals due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has decided that the service connection for a low back disability should be remanded due to new evidence received after the last decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render her unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment until December 22, 2011. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU for the periods specified.

The Board has determined that another remand is necessary to ensure compliance with the prior remand instructions for both low back disorder and obstructive sleep apnea service connection claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date were denied. The Board found that new evidence did not support reopening the claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, and denied all other claims as well.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent from December 12, 2022 onwards. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for knee and back disabilities due to inadequate prior examinations. A new examination is needed to assess the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disorder. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current condition, which includes a history of in-service symptoms and ongoing pain.

The Board has granted an initial 40 percent rating for the Veteran's low back disability and effective dates for the radiculopathy ratings. The case is remanded for further development to address issues related to the severity of the disabilities, their effects on daily life, and any additional service-connected conditions.

Your appeal for service connection of a back disability has been dismissed because the Veteran's representative requested to withdraw the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied. Separate ratings of 10 percent were granted for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy effective from February 23, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, residuals of penile injury (including erectile dysfunction), hypertension, and heart disease. The VA examiners found no clear evidence that the conditions pre-existed service or were incurred during service.,The examiner concluded that there was insufficient medical evidence to support a direct link between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his current disability level.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy are remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion on the functional ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.