Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a left shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, and lumbar spine disorder due to inadequate medical opinions and need for clarification on whether a left shoulder disorder is currently diagnosed.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, right knee disability secondary to hypertension, right shoulder disability secondary to hypertension, and low back disability (narrowing of the disc space L4-L5 with degenerative changes at L5-S1) secondary to hypertension due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, to include arthritis. The remaining issues of service connection for lumbar spine disability, left shoulder strain, and psychiatric disability are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for a hearing loss disability of the right ear. The issues of service connection for residuals of TBI, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse), pulmonary disability (including COPD and emphysema), and lumbar spine disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient verification of his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The AOJ is instructed to identify these periods and obtain all outstanding service treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine and compensatory lumbar scoliosis. The decision is based on a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty due to their progression from his in-service leg length discrepancy.

The Veteran's low back disability and sciatic radiculopathy of the right leg were granted initial ratings of 20 percent, with a subsequent increase to 40 percent for the right leg from August 16, 2022. The left leg radiculopathy was also granted an increased rating to 40 percent from that date.,The Veteran's low back disability and sciatic radiculopathy of both legs were rated based on their respective conditions without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spinal stenosis, left lower extremity sciatica, and right lower extremity sciatica as these conditions are not related to his service-connected L2 compression fracture.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of lower back, right hip, and left hip conditions.,However, the Veteran was granted an initial increased rating to 50 percent for unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that his current neck disability was related to service or any other service-connected condition, nor did it demonstrate continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder as there is no credible evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the current condition is not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities have been granted service connection as direct service connection, with no presumption or secondary service connection issues addressed.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's right knee disability is alleged to have caused or aggravated his claimed disabilities, including lumbar spine, cervical spine, left hip, right hip, and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for a lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and gouty arthritis due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as it is not related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, left hip, and low back disabilities due to a June 1971 injury during National Guard service. Additional medical opinions are needed if service connection is granted for the right knee.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sciatic pain, low back disability, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the evidence showing these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's TBI residuals are denied as the evidence is inconclusive regarding whether they are separate from his service-connected mental health condition. The tension headache condition is granted on a direct basis, while the left foot conditions (bilateral flat feet) and right knee condition are denied due to pre-existing status.

The Board has determined that the VA Regional Office did not substantially comply with its remand directives and these claims must be returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraines, back condition, and psychiatric condition, have rendered her unemployable. The Board has referred the matter to the VA Director of Compensation Services for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a link between his current condition and his military service.