Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 40 percent each, effective April 18, 2018.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for referral to the Director of Compensation Service due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various lower extremity conditions due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability and TDIU are being remanded due to procedural defects. The RO must obtain updated VA medical records, issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case, and adjudicate the TDIU claim.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, major depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were related to in-service injuries or diseases.,There was no indication of herbicide exposure, and the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II did not manifest within one year from separation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, including IVDS and DDD, is denied as the evidence does not support an increased rating beyond 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment prior to August 29, 2022.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a spine examination to assess the Veteran's disability. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a back disability due to inadequate examination and failure to address all requested opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and service connection for a low back disability require additional examination to determine their current severity, as the previous VA examinations were inadequate. The claims are therefore being remanded.

The Board vacated part of its decision denying a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine, and remanded it due to a lack of contemporaneous examination. The claim is now pending again.

The Veteran's initial 70 percent rating for depressive disorder is granted, and the issues of service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, left shoulder, headaches, and thoracolumbar spine disability are remanded. The compensable rating for hypertension issue is also remanded.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine have been rated at 10 percent, effective January 1, 2017. The Board found that this rating is appropriate based on the current functional limitations and did not find evidence of more severe disability warranting a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's neck disability is related to his military service. The VA examiner provided contradictory opinions, and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current neck disabilities are related to his in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to in-service injuries and related conditions, including neck disorder, lower back disorder, headaches, right and left lower extremity neuropathy. The issues are intertwined with the development of the neck disorder claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical disorders are not service-connected as they did not begin during her military service or within a year of discharge, and there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to her active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and providing proper notice regarding the criteria necessary to substantiate a TDIU. The issues of increased ratings for lumbar radiculopathy and entitlement to a TDIU are currently pending.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability (degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine) and an acquired psychiatric disorder (paranoid schizophrenia), finding that these conditions permanently worsened beyond their natural progression during periods of active duty training.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for his back condition, finding that it is related to his military service and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.