Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability for the period prior to June 29, 2016 due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his unspecified mood disorder and a TDIU rating was granted. The Veteran now has a combined disability rating of 73 percent, with the mood disorder rated at 50 percent. His DDD is rated at 40 percent, and his radiculopathy is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions, including low back disability, neck disability, joint pain, right leg disability, left leg disability, and anemia claimed as fatigue. The remand requires additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions, with a focus on whether they are related to military service or other service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issue of increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease. The claim for service connection for seizures has been reopened, but further examination and opinion are needed to determine its etiology. Other issues remain pending.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left hip, right hip, and a back disability. The Court found that previous VA opinions were insufficient due to their conclusory rationales and instructed the Board to obtain new opinions addressing these conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease was granted at 10 percent prior to September 28, 2017. From December 15, 2020, the Veteran is now rated at 40 percent for RLE radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right knee disability, secondary to a left knee disability, is granted as service-connected. The case is now remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine due to a December 2006 vehicle incident in Iraq. The case must be returned for further development, including an examination and opinion regarding whether the condition is a congenital defect or preexisting injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and low back injury due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.,For hypertension, the Board found that there is no competent evidence of a nexus between service and the condition. The claim will be remanded again for an addendum medical opinion.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent from August 19, 2004, to June 14, 2011, for the purposes of accrued benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for further development. The issues include lower back, neck, and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's back disability, including thoracic multilevel degenerative arthritis, kyphosis with levoscoliosis, lumbar spondylosis, bilateral thoracic neuritis (quiescent), and spinal fusion, is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as the evidence does not show he was unemployable at the time of the January 2020 rating decision.

The Board denied service connection for both a cervical spine disability and a lumbosacral spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Service connection has also been granted for degenerative arthritis of the left knee with total knee replacement, right knee with total knee replacement, and lumbar spine.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease with strain, lumbar spine and skin cancer. The Veteran's back disability is due to an in-service injury, while his skin cancer is related to exposure to nuclear warheads during service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left biceps femoris strain does not warrant a compensable disability rating, and his TDIU claim is denied. The lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome and bilateral paravertebral muscular strain, as well as sciatica of the lower extremities, are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.814 for a child born with spina bifida, as well as his claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1815 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.815 for a child born with birth defects, due to the absence of evidence that he had any form of spina bifida or that his mother was exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's ratings for insomnia disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and lumbar spine disability have been restored to their previous levels.

The Veteran's back condition is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ankle condition is denied as not related to his active service.