Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration (SSA). The appellant is the surviving spouse of the Veteran who served in active military from October 1962 to December 1964.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's low back disability. The examiner is asked to review all relevant service treatment records and provide an opinion on whether the current diagnoses are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records, particularly those from basic training and Fort Sill.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and arthritis of the left knee on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during and have continued since service.

Your claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain (also claimed as low back disability) has been dismissed because your appeal is moot due to the grant of service connection in June 2023.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, finding no in-service occurrence and insufficient evidence to support the claim.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disability due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of adequate nexus opinion.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the remand requests and thus, the claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability is being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back disability, finding that it is related to his in-service injuries and meets all three elements of direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for lumbosacral strain, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of his conditions prior to November 19, 2018 and from November 19, 2018 onwards.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for an effective date of February 28, 2006 for service connection for lumbar spine disability and TDIU, DEA eligibility, and SMC at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in various conditions are being remanded due to the receipt of new evidence after the October 2019 SOC.

The Veteran's cervical spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, and knee conditions are granted service connection.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further development. The current ratings for his lumbar spine conditions are denied, while he is granted a separate rating for right lumbar radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, degenerative arthritis and spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine, and a breathing problem have been dismissed as there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent for the period prior to April 5, 2017, and at 40 percent thereafter. The rating of 20 percent for the period prior to April 5, 2017, was granted based on forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less during flare-ups. A higher rating is denied as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted due to the PACT Act presumption. Claims for low back, neck, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities are denied.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and brain lesion as these conditions were not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is restored to a 30 percent rating effective October 31, 2016. Effective dates for increased ratings for other conditions are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for back disability based on a finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the October 1971 rating decision, which denied service connection due to spondylolysis being considered a congenital defect. The correct facts were not before the AOJ at that time, as there was evidence showing the condition had worsened since enlistment. Service connection is granted with an effective date of April 16, 1971.