Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back disability, specifically his lumbosacral strain and spondylosis. The Veteran is advised that further development may be required for a supplemental opinion addressing these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of low back disability, bilateral knee condition, bilateral hip condition, acquired psychiatric disability (to include depression), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been withdrawn. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional evidence and provide a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and because SSA records have not been obtained. The RO must review all of this new evidence before making a decision.

The Veteran's headaches are found to have started in service and granted service connection.,Service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome of the cervical spine is denied as there is no evidence it began during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination regarding his back, neck, right shoulder, psychiatric disorder (depression), and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and referring the claim of entitlement to TDIU to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of Compensation and Pension Services for consideration of assignment of a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis prior to November 17, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for a left foot disability, right knee condition, left knee condition, and low back pain.,All conditions are related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his lumbosacral strain and service connection for a bladder disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee patellofemoral syndrome, ankylosis and instability of the right knee, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD), did not meet the minimum threshold requirements for schedular TDIU. However, she is entitled to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from January 3, 2013 to January 2, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of his diagnosed conditions.

The Board has remanded the issues of TDIU on an extraschedular basis, SMC at the housebound rate, and TDIU prior to May 14, 2013 due to a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that there were chronic back symptoms during service and continuous back symptoms since service. The decision is based on direct service connection due to a current diagnosis and in-service history.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further action due to the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled VA examinations and hearing requests. The issues of service connection for right knee disability, low back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder are being returned to the RO for additional procedures.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine was restored to a 20% rating effective June 12, 2017.,The Veteran's PTSD was restored to a 50% rating effective February 1, 2019.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of neck and back disabilities due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent lumbar spine injury residuals including degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome, finding that the condition originated during active service.

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection for a low back condition must be remanded due to additional evidence not yet considered by the AOJ.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the July 2021 remand directives and thus requires another remand to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's back disability had an onset in service, is related to service, or is caused by his service-connected right and left leg stress fracture residuals with knee arthralgia and service-connected left femoral neck stress fracture residuals.

The Board has ordered the case back to the RO for further development due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection claims for various disabilities, including shoulder, hip, and neck conditions. The Veteran's contentions of in-service injury and continuity of symptoms are not adequately addressed by the VA examiners.

The Board has determined that there is not substantial compliance with the remand directives and thus, the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and hypertension are being returned to VA for further development.