Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and lumbar degenerative joint disease, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and her military service.

The Board has jurisdiction over the Veteran's Legacy appeal and finds that a SOC must be issued for the issues of service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is related to her in-service motor vehicle accident, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee patellar instability and other orthopedic conditions, have rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU claim based on these service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to non-compliance with previous instructions and additional development is required.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for sleep apnea and chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior remand directives and an inadequate VA opinion. The Veteran's back disability is being reviewed again for service connection.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, increases in staged ratings for sacroiliac injury and weakness with intervertebral disc syndrome (back disability), a rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy. The issues are also remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide the Veteran with another VA examination.

The Board has determined that more contemporaneous examinations are needed for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with persistent depressed disorder and major depressive episode, lumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The issues of increased ratings for these conditions are being remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including effective date determinations and service connection for various disabilities. The appeal remains in appellate status.

The Board has denied service connection for a heart disability and remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's hip, rhinitis, foot conditions, and hypertension are all being evaluated further.

The reduction of the rating for the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar strain with degenerative joint and disc disease and moderate neural spinal stenosis from 40 to 10 percent was improper, as VA did not properly notify the Veteran of the proposed reduction. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's right ankle disability and thyroid nodules (endocrine condition) claims are remanded for additional development. The left knee and lumbar disability secondary to service-connected conditions also need further examination and opinion.,The Veteran needs a new VA examination for her right ankle disability, as the previous examinations did not address functional loss during flare-ups or with repetitive use over time. She also requires a new VA endocrine examination to determine if she has an endocrine condition related to service. The left knee and lumbar disability claims need further evaluation by different examiners.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to deficiencies in the development of evidence and need for additional examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for obtaining the Veteran's service treatment records (STRs) and conducting a VA examination. The STRs were not obtained as directed in the January 2023 remand, despite previous attempts.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a low back disorder and granted it, finding that new evidence supports the Veteran's claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that it was permanently aggravated during his active duty from March 2016 to April 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus, nightmare disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and low back disability due to incomplete procedures.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, low back condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet VA criteria for hearing loss as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for right wrist and thoracolumbar spine disorders due to in-service injuries. The issues are being remanded.