Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran was granted SMC based on aid and attendance, but denied SMC based on housebound status. The Veteran's specially adapted housing claim was also granted, while his claims for a special home adaptation grant and an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance were denied.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine condition due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and the need for an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis and herniated disc of the thoracolumbar spine from September 4, 2013, and also granted a total disability evaluation due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from that date.

The Board dismissed both issues of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral or cervical strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine due to untimely filing.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine, left and right shoulder disabilities, hypertension, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, cervical strain (claimed as neck strain), lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower back strain), left shoulder strain (claimed as painful joints), and right shoulder strain (claimed as painful joints) to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted restoration of a 100% rating for PTSD and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate, effective October 1, 2021, while denying increased ratings for knee contusions and back strain.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD disability alone precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU. The increased rating claim for the PTSD with major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder is dismissed as moot due to the grant of TDIU. SMC was granted from June 1, 2023, based on an aggregated 70 percent additional disability rating.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disorder and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was remanded.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for chronic low back pain to obtain a medical examination and opinion, as necessary legal determinations regarding the nature of the Veteran's pre-service condition cannot be made based on the current evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, diagnosed as a lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, spondylolysis, and spondylolisthesis, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disorder to obtain an addendum opinion regarding its nature and etiology, including all theories of service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial, compensable rating for specific phobia with anxiety and service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a disability rating higher than 40 percent for his service-connected low back disability, as there was no evidence of actual or functional unfavorable ankylosis during the period on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches, degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome (lumbar spine), and cervical spine hyperextension trauma. However, it granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service or his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as radiculopathy of both upper extremities and diabetic peripheral neuropathy in both upper extremities. However, the claim for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) was denied.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral foot, cervical spine, and bilateral hip disabilities but denied service connection for an eye disability, OSA, a sinus disability, and a nail condition. The Board also denied an increased rating for hearing loss and dismissed the TDIU claim.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, and lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis. The claim for hypertension was denied.

The appeal was granted for service connection of a back disability, an effective date of April 24, 2023, for hypertension and post-traumatic headaches ratings, and TDIU. The claims for increased ratings were denied.