Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his active-duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a lumbar spine condition and a left hip condition have been dismissed due to the filing of a premature appeal after duty to assist errors were identified in an earlier decision.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, neck disability, coccydynia, erectile dysfunction, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis with arthroscopy and medial meniscectomy, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, right shoulder overuse syndrome, right elbow olecranon bursitis, and right elbow tendonitis. Service connection was granted for left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine condition and its relationship to his military service. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any relevant private treatment records and schedule an examination for a medical opinion.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis are granted as service connected. The Board found that the Veteran developed these conditions during active duty for training.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for knee disorders, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and PTSD due to a duty to assist error. The appellant's service records are unclear, and further efforts must be made to obtain them.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been dismissed as the initial ratings were already assigned prior to May 24, 2021.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examinations and a need for further evidence regarding service connection for PFB and evaluation of lumbosacral strain.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, low back strain, right ankle loss of range of motion with laxity and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 4, 2020, for service connection of lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc syndrome with intervertebral disc syndrome is denied. The Board found no formal or informal claim was submitted before this date.

The Board has denied service connection for low back disability, left shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and bilateral knee conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for lower back, right hip, and right knee conditions due to a pre-decisional error in obtaining sufficient medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder, finding that the condition was not incurred in or related to service and did not manifest within one year of discharge.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and bilateral shoulder disabilities due to a lack of VA examinations addressing these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow, back, left hand, and right hand conditions have been dismissed due to procedural defects in the appeal process.

The appeal is dismissed because the March 11, 2021 administrative letter rejecting the Veteran's VA Form 21-526EZ claim was not an appealable decision.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical services provided at Methodist Hospital from August 30, 2018 to August 31, 2018. The authorization was provided by VA prior to the implementation of the Mission Act and the service connection is decided on the merits.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's skin condition, back condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, right shoulder condition, and right hip condition. The conditions are deemed to have begun during and continued since his active service.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for DJD of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of both lower extremities have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination opinion.