Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability and right knee disability, both claimed as secondary to left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.,The Veteran's claims were remanded but not fully resolved.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issues of service connection for back, right knee, and left knee disorders due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and left hip disabilities as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, finding that both conditions are caused by or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination and potential outstanding VA treatment records. A new medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left ankle disability, back disability, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted. The rating assigned is 60 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to duty-related injuries during military service. The VA medical opinions are inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding symptom onset and continuity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities and lack of a nexus between his claimed conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a neck condition as secondary to lumbar strain due to its inextricability with another issue being remanded.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for a back disability due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims for bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral flat feet, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded as VA examinations are needed.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on six different conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's back disability, including lumbar spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 and thoracic spine levoscoliosis, was denied an increased rating prior to September 19, 2018, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy was also denied a separate rating prior to October 18, 2019, and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's right elbow strain has been granted a 10 percent evaluation effective June 17, 2015. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome have also been established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition and left knee condition, to include as secondary to a back disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted for a left knee condition, right knee condition, degenerative changes in the thoracolumbar spine, and left shoulder condition.,Service connection is also denied for a right little toe condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with prior remand instructions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back disability. The claim is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine with DJD and radiation pain is rated at 40 percent. Separate ratings of 10 percent are granted for left and right sciatic radicular disabilities.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the August 2020 Board remand requests and thus, a new VA examination is required to determine the severity of the Veteran's low back disability from February 2009 to January 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition and low back condition, as well as an increased rating for right shoulder strain status post rotator cuff surgery. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's low back condition is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has found that additional development is needed before adjudication of the issues on appeal, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and considering new evidence received since the March 2021 SSOC.