Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and a neck disability, finding no evidence linking the conditions to active service or any in-service incidents.

The Board remands the appeal for additional development, including obtaining a corrective opinion and reviewing new evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, back disability, and related secondary conditions based on in-service injuries.

The Board denied various claims for increased ratings and effective dates, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from September 7, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were caused by injuries sustained in the line of duty during his military service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of higher ratings and service connection were dismissed as they constituted impermissible, free-standing, earlier effective claims.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of multiple conditions, as the Veteran withdrew the appeal.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a retina disability, back disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability to correct errors in satisfying regulatory or statutory duties.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy for further development.

The Board granted service connection for headaches as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back condition and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for right hand carpal tunnel, left hand carpal tunnel, and a rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and lumbar strain (back condition). The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to a total individual disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of a 70 percent rating for PTSD, TDIU, DEA eligibility, and ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2021, for the assignment of a 50 percent evaluation for sinusitis, a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and a 10 percent evaluation for left knee disability with instability (DC 5257). The claim for an earlier effective date than January 25, 2019, for the assignment of a 10 percent evaluation for left knee disability with limited flexion (DC 5260) was denied.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including flat foot, plantar fasciitis, left shoulder condition, back condition, bilateral wrist condition, sleep disorder, right shin splints, and bilateral knee condition.

The Veteran is granted eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to his permanent and total service-connected disability affecting both lower extremities, which precludes locomotion without the aid of assistive devices.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, chronic left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, surgical scar of the lumbar spine, and tinnitus.

The appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed due to a procedural defect in the claims processing.

The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation at the (l) and (o) rates from August 12, 2013, based on his service-connected upper extremity rheumatoid arthritis. The back scar claim was also granted an effective date of August 12, 2013.

The appeal concerning the issue of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability is dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for atopic dermatitis, Peyronie's disease, and lumbar strain, while denying service connection for chloracne, amnesia, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension was granted a 10 percent rating.