Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is remanded for additional development, including obtaining a retrospective VA medical opinion and clarifying the loss of range of motion due to repetitive use over time and flare-ups.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including spondylosis and scoliosis, as well as his cervical spine disability, are remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased disability rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis. The claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities are remanded due to a lack of a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent right and left knee disabilities, as well as a lumbar spine disability. The claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran currently has a neck or low back disability that is related to service, as well as whether her numbness in bilateral feet disability may be due to her service-connected pes cavus.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased rating and TDIU due to service-connected low back disability. The Veteran needs additional medical opinions regarding his neurological conditions and retrospective findings of his low back disability, as well as a completed VA Form 21-8940.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, have rendered him unemployable since June 2, 2016. Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance is also established as of that date.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sciatica of the left lower extremity is granted. The Board also remanded three issues: initial rating for sacroiliac degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine; compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB); and service connection for sciatica of left lower extremity as secondary to sacroiliac degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to service. The case is sent back for further development, including an examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral foot disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within presumptive periods. The Board also found that any current disabilities were not related to service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain has not met the criteria for a higher rating, as it does not result in forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine limited to 30 degrees or less, nor does it show objective neurological abnormalities such as radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back, right knee, left knee, and chronic cough conditions are related to his active service. However, due process requires a remand for additional examinations and opinions to address secondary service connection claims and exposure to burn pits.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability due to insufficient medical evidence and incomplete verification of periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition, but remanded the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with MDD, service connection for cervical spine condition, and TDIU due to lack of recent medical records and outdated examination reports.,Further, the Board found that there is at least an approximate balance of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's lower back condition is related to his active-duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lower back disorder and erectile dysfunction due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his left shoulder strain, left ankle sprain, right knee sprain with patellar dislocation, and lumbosacral strain are being remanded due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD and arthritis were not manifested by forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to less than 30 degrees or unfavorable ankylosis, resulting in a denial for ratings in excess of those assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and TDIU must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran submitted private MRI results from January 2019, which were not reviewed by the examiners who conducted the October 2019 and February 2022 VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his right ankle fracture residuals, recurrent sleep disability (including obstructive sleep apnea), and lumbar spine disability due to inadequate evaluations.