Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine conditions, but denied service connection for a left hip condition.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar spine conditions as they are considered to be directly related to his active-duty service.

The appeal for service connection of a low back disability is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied an initial disability rating greater than 40 percent for the Veteran's back condition but granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis from May 11, 2018, and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance status.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease to obtain a new VA nexus opinion that complies with previous remand instructions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted a 30 percent rating prior to May 5, 2021 and denied any higher rating thereafter. The lumbar spine disability is granted a 40 percent rating since May 5, 2021 and denied any higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and TDIU prior to July 7, 2014 due to insufficient development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his back and knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for clarification on whether he has had 'functional ankylosis' in either his back or left knee disabilities throughout the appeal period.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU back to the RO for further development, including obtaining specialized records requests with a special issue indicator.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to deficiencies in the development of evidence and notification. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability will be returned to the RO for further action.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues on appeal, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board has determined that there have been substantial compliance issues with the previous remand directives and thus, the claims are being returned to the RO for additional development.

The Veteran's service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine with spinal fusion and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, is denied because the evidence does not support a finding that obesity (an intermediate step) was caused or aggravated by these service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the service connection claim for a lumbar spine disability due to an in-service fall, as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the current condition is related to service. The Veteran's lay statements and medical records support his contention that his back issues began during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, right knee strain, and cervical strain due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will provide further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability, characterized by degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 and lumbar radiculopathy, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 20 percent prior to June 22, 2015; and higher than 40 percent thereafter. The Board denied his claims.

The Veteran's preexisting back disability worsened during service, resulting in current diagnoses of degenerative disc disease/degenerative changes of the thoracic and lumbar spine, and thoracic and lumbar scoliosis. The Board finds that these conditions are presumptively related to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is granted an initial rating of 10 percent. The Board has remanded the remaining issues for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities was granted with effective dates of September 2, 2021. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disorder due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not show forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less.