Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, low back, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, depression, and mood disorder, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The Board also denied service connection for bilateral lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and earlier effective dates, as well as remanded a claim for TDIU.

The Board granted service connection for six surgical scars and insomnia, as secondary to the service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain status post laminectomy. It also granted a 50% disability rating for the intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain status post laminectomy, effective July 31, 2017, and a TDIU due solely to this condition.

The Board dismissed claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and left knee strain, but granted a 40 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy from January 31, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition as there is no current diagnosis and the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the in-service injury and the current disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition and radiculopathy, left lower extremity (claimed as bilateral radiculopathy in the legs) due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for persistent depressive disorder, and service connection for lumbosacral strain (back condition) and cervical strain (neck condition), to obtain additional evidence.

The Board denied service connection for cervical degenerative disc disease, cervical degenerative joint disease, and bilateral upper and lower extremity radiculopathy as the probative evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches and denied the claims for an earlier effective date, increased ratings, and other service connection issues.

The Board granted a disability rating of 40 percent, but not higher, for the Veteran's thoracolumbar back condition and separate ratings of 20 percent for right leg radiculopathy, service connection for left knee strain as secondary to the service-connected right knee strain, and service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for nonspecific headaches, effective October 22, 2022, but denied service connection for left ankle sprain and remanded claims for chest pain and back disability.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the Veteran's left and right knee instability, as well as a 20% disability rating for erectile dysfunction. Other claims were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several other claims for further development.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, a left knee disorder, a right knee disorder, a left foot disorder, a right foot disorder, a painful right ring finger scar, a neck disorder, a back disorder, and a right hand disorder based on the evidence showing these conditions are etiologically related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted service connection for vertebral fractures at L3, L4, and L5, lumbar degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, and lumbar IVDS but denied an effective date prior to August 10, 2022, for the award of service connection for chronic kidney disease.

The Board granted an effective date of September 23, 2021, for the award of a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and a 10 percent rating for his right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve as secondary to the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board also granted a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches throughout the period on appeal.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various joint disabilities, including arthritis, to obtain additional evidence and a more thorough examination.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service.