Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board remands the matter for further development and to provide additional reasons and bases in its weighing of the information contained within the examination reports of record.

The Board remands the case for additional development, including a new medical opinion to address neurological abnormalities and the impact of medication on the severity of the Veteran's back disability.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The issues of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) and service connection for a lung disability were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disabilities as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for a back disability and an effective date earlier than May 12, 2024 for the assignment of service connection for a back disability. The claim for TDIU was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied increased ratings for tension headaches with migraine variants and lumbosacral strain with retrolisthesis, compression fracture L1 and degenerative disc disease, but granted a 20 percent rating for left ankle tendonitis status post fracture. The Board also granted service connection for a left knee disorder as secondary to the service-connected conditions and for gastroesophageal reflux disease and cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent for the lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and a 100 percent rating for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic lumbar spine disorder as there was no evidence of a causal relationship between the current disability and an in-service injury, and no continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for the veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder, while denying earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and found that new and relevant evidence had not been received to readjudicate the claims for left and right lower extremity stent placements in femoral arteries.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and earlier effective date for a lumbosacral strain, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for migraines (chronic headaches).

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, to include lumbosacral strain and lumbar spine disc degeneration at L3-L4 and L5-S1 with associated low back pain, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for bruxism, a lumbosacral strain, a left shoulder strain, and bilateral blepharitis but denied service connection for hypertension, hearing loss, a neck strain, costochondritis, and a right shoulder sprain.

The Board granted service connection for a skin disorder, left foot disability, left knee disability, and lumbar spine disability but dismissed the appeal for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and denied it for the right lower extremity.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve and remanded the claim for degenerative joint and disc disease, lumbosacral strain; intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board granted an effective date of December 20, 2021, for the grant of service connection for right knee calcific tendinitis and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a back disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability, left shoulder disability, and psychiatric disorder, due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability prior to June 26, 2023.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder recurrent with psychotic features and remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability, entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right foot strain, and entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle strain with Achilles tendonitis.