Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and bilateral kidney disabilities due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development to address the severity of his service-connected disabilities, as well as any new or existing conditions related to in-service exposure. The issues of service connection are also pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, right knee meniscal tear, and left knee condition due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for updated medical records and VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to insufficient examination opinions. The Veteran will have an opportunity to provide additional evidence or opt into the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability was rated at 10 percent from May 1, 2010, to February 11, 2020. The Board found that the evidence did not demonstrate symptoms warranting a higher rating during this period.

The Veteran's back disability (DJD of the thoracic and lumbar spine) and obstructive sleep apnea have been granted service connection. The back condition is presumed to be due to continuous symptoms since service, while the sleep apnea was first manifested during service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for depression and TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine injury with DDD and IVDS.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of his right foot disability, low back disability, and right knee disability. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection based on his in-service duties, but the VA examiners did not adequately consider this evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), spinal stenosis, and scoliosis due to a lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current low back disability and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will seek additional medical opinions to determine the appropriate rating for his lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and low back disabilities, finding that a new VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are secondary to his service-connected common headaches, bilateral shoulder glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, and/or bilateral flatfeet.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, lumbosacral strain (back injury), sleep apnea, tendonitis of the left ankle, and tendonitis of the right ankle. The claim for flat feet was reopened but not granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic low back pain syndrome is service-connected, as it began during his active duty and continues to this day.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for DJD of the lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and IVDS was initially rated at 20 percent, but he seeks a higher rating. The RO failed to obtain a contemporaneous VA examination prior to assigning this rating, which constitutes a duty-to-assist error.

The Board dismissed the appeals for diabetes mellitus, type II, emphysema, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, lumbar stenosis and disc herniation with radiculopathy, and PTSD as untimely filed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease. The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.