Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis is granted as service-connected, with reasonable doubt resolved in his favor.,The Veteran's bilateral pes planus (flat feet) is granted as service-connected due to aggravation of a pre-existing condition during military service.,The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's low back scar, which measures at most 5 cm by 0.5 cm and is not painful or unstable, does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating prior to January 21, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for contact dermatitis and TDIU was granted. The claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is being remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and radiculopathies of the femoral and sciatic nerves of bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's headaches are also found to be related to service.

The Board has restored the Veteran's original 20 percent rating for her service-connected neck condition, as the reduction in rating from 20 percent to 10 percent was found to be void ab initio due to procedural errors.

The Veteran's low back condition and right ankle condition were denied service connection. The left ankle, knee, hip, and psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) claims are remanded for further development.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran's left ankle, right knee, right hip, and psychiatric disorders (including PTSD).

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is related to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has denied a higher disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and ratings for left knee instability and degenerative joint disease due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for TDIU, right and left upper/lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and back disorder are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. Additional evidence is needed from SSA and VA medical opinions/examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a low back disability has been dismissed as he withdrew the appeal in writing.

The Veteran's initial claim for a thoracolumbar spine disorder was granted, and he is now rated at 20 percent disabled. The issues of service connection for radiculopathy of the lower extremities and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the claim for service connection for a back disability, and as such, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that her current condition is not related to an in-service injury or event.

The appeal regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, spina bifida, and right leg disabilities is dismissed because they are already pending final adjudication on appeal to the Board. The appeal regarding his claim for bilateral shoulder disability is also dismissed as it constitutes an improper concurrent election with a previously pending HLR request.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and thoracic spine arthritis, finding that new evidence supports these claims under the presumptive service connection provisions.

The Veteran's service-connected back condition, left leg varicose veins, and left ankle condition rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's reduction in rating for mild degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine from 20% to 10% was restored. Service connection for tension headaches as secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to service. The Board noted that the earliest indication of a back condition was in 2015, nearly 50 years after service, and found insufficient medical evidence to support a link between the Veteran's military occupational specialty and his current condition.