Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and right leg length shortening due to his failure to report for necessary VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right hand, and left hand disabilities due to incomplete adjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back and left hip disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether PTSD caused obesity, which is a factor in causing the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU and DEA benefits effective March 7, 2012. The Board finds the earlier effective dates for these benefits are not warranted due to lack of evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to that date.

The Veteran's representative withdrew all issues on appeal in a July 2022 written statement, leading to the dismissal of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and hip disabilities, as well as his psychiatric disorder, are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are secondary to his service-connected back disability. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and RLE radiculopathy require further examination to determine their current severity, as well as a review of his medical records for any relevant treatment. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the rating claims.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizoaffective disorder, and a lumbar spine condition. The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence of in-service injury or disease without any presumption.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 20 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted due to functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for lumbar spine surgical scars and right foot surgical scar due to additional evidence being added after the February 2020 Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected. The right knee and low back disabilities are remanded for further examination and determination of their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of medical records related to the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The Veteran is asked to provide signed releases for any private treatment records from Dr. S.G. and other practitioners.

The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbosacral strain were granted service connection. The issues of left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 22, 2017, and a rating in excess of 40 percent on and after March 22, 2017, for lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative joint disease; and entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to its presumptive nature based on exposure to noise during combat.,There is no current diagnosis of a lower back disability, and the evidence does not support a finding that any such condition was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its remand orders and thus, the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar degenerative disc (DDD) and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to a lack of examination. Additionally, the TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the back and radicular symptoms issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence received and incomplete records from his service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, finding that the earliest date of claim is January 15, 2013.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the addition of new medical records since the last decision in February 2021. The Veteran was given an opportunity to have these records considered by the agency of original jurisdiction before the Board's consideration.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability rating is being remanded for a new examination to assess the severity of her condition. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as the Veteran has not submitted the necessary forms and there is insufficient evidence to substantiate her claim.