Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is found to be related to his active duty service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension due to military environmental exposure under the PACT Act, but denied service connection for thoracolumbar spine disability, cancer of the left tonsil, and COPD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for knee, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury, pilonidal cyst, low back disability, and residuals of left hip stab wound due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is required to attend rescheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of September 7, 2010.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and cervical spine disorder due to a lack of treatment records and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis and post-traumatic degeneration of the joints as secondary to a service-connected disability was denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received, thus denying the application to reopen the previously denied claim. For lumbosacral spine intervertebral disc syndrome, the Veteran's initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent was also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right hip, left knee, and right knee. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, neck, right shoulder, and left shoulder disorders due to inadequate opinions in prior VA examinations.

The Board has found that additional development is necessary due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination, and thus remands the case for further action.

The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and lower extremity radiculopathy due to new evidence indicating potential functional loss during flare-ups and medication effects.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's right ankle disability is incurred in or caused by service, and whether it is proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected lumbar spine disability. The decision on the rating issue remains remanded.

The Veteran's back condition is granted a 40 percent disability rating, effective July 8, 2019. Other claims are either denied or remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for joint conditions including arthritis due to a lack of an adequate etiological opinion. The case is returned to the AOJ for further development and consideration.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those for service connection for bipolar disorder, increased evaluations for thoracolumbar strain and migraine headaches, and entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected right arm numbness/tingling, TBI residuals, thoracolumbar spine spondylosis, and migraine headaches. The appeals are also remanded for a new examination to determine if there was any in-service causation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for her low back disability and service connection for chest pain, finding that additional development is needed to address functional loss equivalent to ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine and to clarify the etiology of her chest pain.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined rating of service-connected disabilities has been at least 100 percent throughout the appeal period, and he was not found to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.