Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The issues of service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine; right leg radiculopathy; and degenerative arthritis, cervical spine are dismissed as the Board granted service connection in a separate appeal stream.

The Board remands all claims for further development and to correct pre-decision duty-to-assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis and a left knee disorder, but denied service connection for other conditions including the lumbar spine, thoracic spine, leg neurological disorders, hand tremors, inguinal hernia, as well as denied a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis from August 10, 2022, to August 26, 2025, and a rating in excess of 50 percent for headaches.

The Board granted the veteran's appeal and reinstated the 40 percent rating for thoracolumbar strain to include degenerative arthritis, finding that the reduction was improper.

The Board denied increased ratings for left knee strain and right leg shin splints, granted a 10 percent rating for right ankle strain, and remanded several other issues including service connection claims.

The Board granted an initial 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain associated with degenerative disc disease, effective January 3, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for GERD and denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, while denying an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction. The remaining claims were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, to include sciatica and low back pain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, right shoulder disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and respiratory disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board is remanding the matters for clarification from the private examiner as to whether a goniometer was used, and will defer further adjudication until such clarification is provided.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the current disability is due to an in-service back injury.

The Board denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain but granted service connection for radiculopathy in both lower extremities associated with the lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied increased ratings for migraines and lumbar spondylosis, granted a 40% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and granted TDIU and earlier effective dates for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board denied the veteran's requests for extensions of time to file appeals regarding various rating decisions, and dismissed the attempted appeals.

The Board remands the claim for an increased rating for thoracolumbar strain to ensure the Veteran is afforded a new VA examination that accurately reflects his symptoms.

The Board granted the appeal and reinstated a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine vertebral fracture with degenerative arthritis and lumbosacral strain, effective June 24, 2024.

The Board denied the claims for an earlier effective date as no new and relevant evidence was received to reopen or readjudicate the claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU, finding that his lumbar spine disability did not warrant higher ratings and that he was capable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 25, 2017, but not since.

The Board granted increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome, left and right ankle disabilities but remanded the claims for other joint conditions due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis to ensure that the AOJ makes reasonable attempts to obtain missing reserve treatment records and in-service hospital records.