Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, which is currently considered a direct service connection without any presumption or secondary link.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a traumatic brain injury, increased ratings for lumbar strain and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran was not scheduled for necessary VA examinations due to his failure to appear.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine degenerative joint diseases are being remanded.,Further investigation is needed to determine the validity of these claims.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a 20 percent rating for the period prior to June 21, 2017.,A higher rating is denied for the period since June 21, 2017.,An initial 20 percent rating was granted for the trapezius muscle spasms disability prior to July 28, 2022.,An initial 30 percent rating was granted for the trapezius muscle spasms disability since July 28, 2022.,Radiculopathy of the right upper extremity is rated at a separate initial 40 percent evaluation.,Radiculopathy of the left upper extremity is rated at a separate initial 30 percent evaluation.

The claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is remanded.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as insomnia and mood disorder, secondary to the service-connected tinnitus, is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability and headaches, but denied service connection for atrial fibrillation and right knee osteoarthritis. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of onset during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted, with effective dates of March 13, 2017. The SMC claim was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions. The rating for metatarsalgia with Morton's neuroma of the right foot remains denied as it already has the maximum schedular disability rating.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's condition did not onset in-service or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation.,Service connection was also denied for a left knee disorder due to lack of evidence showing continuity of symptomatology since service. The Board noted that the Veteran's current diagnosis is most likely age-related.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for a back condition other than lumbar strain due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied. The lumbar spine disability rating was restored, but the headaches claim was not granted an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased evaluations are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to May 22, 2015, is also being referred to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has denied the initial compensable disability rating for a scar on the left lateral surface of the distal femur and remanded the service connection claim for low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, right ankle disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) have been denied. The evidence does not establish that the current conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection to hypertension is denied. The claims for increased ratings of anxiety disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disorder, and right knee disorder are all remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of the lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active service.,The Board also denied service connection for bilateral foot disabilities, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to support a link between current foot issues and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records and further review of the claims, including those related to effective dates.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of June 28, 2012, for the grant of a 20% rating for lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and intervertebral disc syndrome has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal regarding the right elbow and left elbow disabilities is remanded.

The Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and scarring are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.