Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The appeals for service connection of various conditions have been denied as no new and relevant evidence has been received to support the claims. The appeal for bilateral feet disabilities is being remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for RLE and LLE sciatic radiculopathy, as well as the left knee scar, were granted with effective dates of October 9, 2019. The right knee disability and thoracolumbar spine disability received their initial effective date on October 19, 2012.

The petition to readjudicate the previously denied service connection claim for a low back disability is denied. The Board has found that new and relevant evidence was not received, and thus the claim cannot be readjudicated under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The remand of the petition to adjudicate the psychiatric disability requires further action by the AOJ in obtaining service treatment records related to a psychiatric hospitalization during service.

The Board's decision to dismiss the service connection claims was vacated due to a pending substitution claim by the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back disorder is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's service-connected status post fracture, transverse process L3, L4, L5 with degenerative disc disease. The claim is being remanded due to issues related to total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 30, 2022, for the grant of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board finds that there is a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable by reason of service-connected disabilities during this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cataracts, hypertension, a lung disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms post-service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition and also denied his claim for TDIU due to his prostate cancer residuals.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of October 30, 2017 for service connection and a disability rating of 40 percent for lumbar strain with mild congenital rotodextro-scoliosis from that date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis of the spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The decision is based on evidence showing that the Veteran had in-service back pain and current diagnoses of degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for back disorder, including thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis and spinal fusion. The VA examiner concluded that the preexisting lumbar spine condition identified on entry was not aggravated by any in-service illness or injury.

The Veteran's appeals for skin issues, lumbar and thoracic spine disability, and right shoulder disability have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to address whether his claimed disabilities are related to service, particularly given his in-service exposures and symptoms.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain, finding that it is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the April 2020 decision.,Service connection is granted for sinusitis. The Veteran's back disorder and left hip disorder are not found to be related to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70 percent rating effective June 13, 2014.,The Veteran is also granted TDIU based on her service-connected disabilities since June 13, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right foot amputation and peripheral neuropathy, have resulted in loss of use of his right foot. The Board has determined that he is eligible for financial assistance to purchase an automobile and adaptive equipment due to this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and back disabilities due to new evidence submitted. However, the claims are still remanded as further medical examination is needed to determine if these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a left kidney disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and right knee disability have been dismissed.,New and material evidence has been presented to reopen claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, erectile dysfunction, and psychiatric disability.