Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of a low back disability was granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied, but the case for service connection of a right knee disability is remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations did not provide sufficient information to identify periods of increased and/or decreased severity resulting from flare-ups. The claims are therefore being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical strain, TBI, lumbar condition, and left knee injury due to insufficient evidence.,Further medical opinions are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for his lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, effective July 2, 2018.,A 20 percent rating was assigned for right lower extremity radiculopathy, also effective July 2, 2018.

The Veteran's radiculopathy in the right and left lower extremities were granted service connection effective December 12, 2011. Effective dates for TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are also established.

The Veteran's service connection claims for headache disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are granted. The claim for lower back disorder is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability is dismissed. The claims for increased ratings and service connection are pending, with some issues remanded.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for OSA was granted. Entitlement to a rating of 40 percent, but no higher, for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is also granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis with degenerative disc disease and compression fracture at T-11 and T-12 has been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal in February 2024.

The appeal of the September 2017 denial of a TDIU is dismissed. The appeals for rating greater than 40 percent for low back disorder, and rating greater than 30 percent for right knee disorder and left knee disorder are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and headache disorder. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar scar has been granted. The issue of rating in excess of 20 percent for his low back disability is remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right ear hearing loss, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, neck disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability. The reasons include inadequate medical opinions and need for additional development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the lumbar spine and left knee disabilities, so these claims are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's back disability and his service-connected bilateral lower extremity disabilities, particularly considering the impact of gait instability.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and lumbosacral strain, as well as service connection for sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension, was denied. The Board found the evidence did not support higher ratings or establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine and left knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for left ankle disability, neck/upper back condition, and gout in left foot. The case is remanded to obtain a medical nexus opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's gout.

The Veteran's increased ratings claims for lumbar strain with IVDS and associated lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as the claimant failed to attend scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease is granted a 40 percent rating from May 29, 2019. The initial 60 percent rating for eczema with pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is also granted.