Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbosacral facet hypertrophy with degenerative disc disease is granted an effective date of October 30, 2019 for a 40 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for further development, including obtaining retrospective medical opinions regarding the Veteran's back disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar strain, finding that new evidence submitted since the last denial supports a determination that the condition began during active duty and is related to an in-service injury. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical nexus opinions provided by the VA in July 2020. The Board finds that further examination and opinion are needed to determine if his current disabilities were caused or aggravated by his active-duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for muscle pain, finding that there is no current disability and insufficient evidence to establish a link between his in-service complaints of muscle-related symptoms and any diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for low back disability and left hip disability are dismissed. A 50 percent disability rating is granted for bilateral pes planus.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for a low back condition and right ankle sprain due to duty-to-assist errors. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's low back disability began during his active service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has not been submitted to readjudicate the claims for service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, lumbar spine condition, right elbow condition, and right shoulder condition. The appeal is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for lung cancer and remanded the issues of service connection for thyroid disorder and lumbosacral strain due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors and requests additional opinions on whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disability, and if so, whether it was a substantial factor in causing his current obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable since June 1, 2020. The Board has granted TDIU and assigned June 1, 2020 as the effective date. The Veteran is also entitled to DEA benefits from June 1, 2020.

Your lower back disability has been granted service connection, but the appeal is dismissed as your full benefit was already awarded in a previous decision.

The Veteran's back and ankle conditions were not rated higher than the current levels, with the appeal being remanded for further review of his hip osteoarthritis claims.

The Veteran's initial rating for vitiligo is granted at a 10 percent level. The Board finds the evidence more nearly approximates a 10 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain, left ankle collateral ligament sprain, right ankle collateral ligament sprain, and lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve due to static symptoms beginning February 2, 2018. The Veteran's sinusitis is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete review of evidence and failure to obtain Social Security Administration records. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, left ankle arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his GERD and OSA, as well as a VA examination for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis. The AOJ will consider any new evidence submitted during this process.

The Veteran's back, right knee, and sinusitis disabilities are remanded for further medical opinions to determine if they were aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI and lumbosacral strain due to errors in verifying periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The VA examiner's opinions are also inadequate, and further medical examination may be necessary.