Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and right hip conditions due to incomplete medical opinions and lack of discussion on relevant factors.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various gastrointestinal and spinal conditions are remanded due to incomplete records, lack of rationale in the examination reports, and other procedural errors.

The appeal is dismissed as moot because the Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) has been granted from April 30, 2014.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability and right ankle disability due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's service treatment records show he had injuries during service, but there is no evidence in the records confirming when these conditions started.

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate condition, hypertension, chronic headaches, ED, GERD, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, skin condition (melanoma of neck and face), back disability, left ankle injury, right ankle disability, and right shoulder disability due to a duty to assist error.,The Veteran's service connection claims are remanded as the Board finds that VA examinations and medical opinions are required to determine whether these claimed disabilities are etiologically related to his active service or other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right inguinal hernia is granted service connection. The claims for left inguinal hernia, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip and lumbar spine conditions due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's current hip and spine conditions are being evaluated for secondary service connection.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and residuals of a lipoma of the low back.,There is no current evidence showing that the Veteran has these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip condition, left hip condition, and low back condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee strain. The decision is based on a finding that these conditions are aggravated by his service-connected right knee strain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for depression, PTSD, and a back disability due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining VA medical examinations and opinions related to his reported stressors and disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for migraine headaches and a back disability due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions and the need for additional evidence, including verification of duty status during active or inactive duty training.

The Board has remanded the claims for left and right foot disabilities due to duty-to-assist errors.,An addendum VA opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral foot disabilities were aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected multi-level disk bulging of the lumbar spine and sciatica, left lower extremity are granted a 40 percent evaluation effective December 3, 2010.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 1, 2019 for the award of a 70% disability rating for PTSD and has also granted entitlement to TDIU. The initial 40% disability rating for lumbosacral strain remains unchanged as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of limitation in range of motion.,The Veteran's right hip limitation of extension is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board found no evidence supporting a higher rating based on current functional limitations.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence in previous VA examinations.,Service connection is not granted as there is no credible evidence that the Veteran's current low back or right knee disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for iliotibial band syndrome, left knee; a low back condition; and a left hip condition were denied. The effective date of the decision is June 21, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as secondary to service-connected residuals of right ankle sprain, left foot hallux valgus with degenerative arthritis of the great toe status post bunionectomy, and right foot hallux valgus with bunions. The decision is based on a finding that the Veteran's current back disability is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.