Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to TDIU, and referred it for extraschedular consideration as to entitlement to TDIU benefits.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and a bilateral shoulder disability, have been withdrawn.,Service connection has been granted for acromegaly secondary to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from securing and following substantially gainful employment from August 2, 2018 to October 31, 2020.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability and lumbosacral spine disability are being remanded for additional medical opinions to determine if they were caused or aggravated by her active service, including periods of annual training in the National Guard. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 50 percent for major depressive disorder has been granted, effective October 15, 2018. The claims for service connection for a back disorder and left knee disorders have been reopened and remanded. The right knee osteoarthritis claim remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, low back disability, and cervical spine disability. The decision did not address the issues of service connection based on exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for headaches as secondary to thoracolumbar spondylosis, and earlier effective dates for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims.

The Veteran's back disability was rated at 20 percent prior to October 25, 2019 and restored to 40 percent from October 20, 2020. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disorder had its onset during active duty and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his current disability level for the period since February 6, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for heart murmur and an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals of earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbar spondylosis, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbar spondylosis, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity, PTSD have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal of a TDIU prior to August 26, 2016 has been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if his knee and back conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to evaluate the Veteran's back disability and obtain relevant SSA records. The issues of entitlement to increased evaluations for service-connected disabilities and TDIU are being addressed.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and residuals of concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee, and left knee arthritis. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective May 19, 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen her claim of service connection for chronic low back pain, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted sufficient to reopen the claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for additional examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues with the June 2018 VA medical opinion and additional lay statements. The Veteran's low back disability will be reviewed again by a qualified examiner.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left leg disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 20 percent, but a higher rating of up to 40 percent is granted from September 20, 2018 to April 1, 2019 for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbosacral strain.,After April 2, 2019, a higher rating beyond 20 percent is not warranted. The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), including secondary to his IVDS with degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbosacral strain, is also remanded.