Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the severity and functional loss of the Veteran's left knee and low back disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate examinations and the need for additional development of medical evidence regarding the severity and impact of the Veteran's back, right ankle, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the competency of the VA medical examiner who provided a negative nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's low back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequacies in prior examinations and the need for additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's back condition and PTSD have been granted service connection, with the back condition receiving a grant of service connection and the PTSD being rated at 70 percent effective March 9, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left and right sciatic radiculopathy, each as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a 20 percent rating effective July 1, 2017. His left knee limitation of flexion is also rated at 20 percent from the same date.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability prior to August 18, 2020, and from that date forward is dismissed.,The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for a left wrist disability has been granted due to new evidence received since October 2005.,The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right wrist median neuropathy and bilateral foot disabilities prior to August 18, 2020 is remanded.,The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his heel spurs of the left and right feet are remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his bilateral flat foot disability from August 18, 2020 is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy, and right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy are all rated at 20 percent since January 6, 2018. A TDIU is granted from that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for genital herpes is granted. The claims for service connection for human papillomavirus (HPV), thoracic spine disability, and lumbar spine disability are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The psychiatric disorder claim is also remanded.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is not service-connected because the evidence does not establish that it originated during active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in a previous VA addendum opinion and the need for an updated medical examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's upper back and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as his bilateral hand disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and left foot disability. The primary reason for the remand is to reschedule a VA examination for the Veteran's upper back and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives and a need for further medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, including whether it is related to service-connected bilateral knee and right hip disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis, but the issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Veteran's urination problems are not secondary to his thoracolumbar spine disability. The Board denied higher ratings for the thoracolumbar spine and right knee disabilities, as well as a separate rating for right knee instability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions. The claims are not granted as there is no evidence that the conditions are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided were inadequate for adjudication purposes and remanded the case to obtain further clarification of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including his lay statements regarding incapacitating episodes and flare-ups. The Board also requested additional medical records from private providers.

The Board has found that remand is needed due to the need for new medical nexus opinions regarding the Veteran's low back disability, including as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of bilateral pes planus and Morton's neuroma (also claimed as leg pain), and/or cervical spine arthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back condition is related to his service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.