Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) for the period from August 29, 2014, to June 16, 2019.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of both knees, hypertension, and a lower back disorder to obtain private medical records from Dr. B. Taylor.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain military pay records and clarify any potential Reserve service that could be considered qualifying service.

The appeals for increased ratings and service connection were withdrawn by the veteran's authorized representative.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and right ankle pain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome, but denied an earlier effective date for the evaluation of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder.

The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed, and the claims for rhinitis, paralysis of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve, a neck disability (cervical strain), right upper extremity nerve damage, back disability (lumbosacral strain), and paralysis of the left lower extremity sciatic nerve were denied or remanded.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 6, 2005, for the award of a 10 percent rating for both the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities due to clear and unmistakable error in the prior decision. The back disability claim was denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied increased ratings for the Veteran's cervical spine, GAD with PDD, left knee, right knee, left shoulder, thoracolumbar, and migraine disabilities. The claims for service connection for acne or residuals of acne, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), respiratory insufficiency (dyspnea) were remanded.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the low back disability, denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, granted a separate 10 percent rating for left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence supports a relationship between the Veteran's current condition and her military service.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, low back, neck disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the claimed conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, and low back disorders to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on a need for aid and attendance, as her service-connected disabilities did not necessitate regular assistance from another person. The claim for housebound criteria was dismissed as it had already been granted in a previous decision.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, a left elbow disability (claimed as osteoarthritis), and a higher rating for lumbosacral strain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lower back condition, bilateral hip condition, and paralysis (claimed as a bilateral sciatic nerve condition) to obtain additional evidence.

The Board remands the Veteran's increased rating claim for his lumbar spine disability due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board dismissed the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar and cervical spine spondylolisthesis as moot because they had already been adjudicated.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back condition due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as remanded certain issues.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disorder to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's condition.