Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various disabilities, including unspecified anxiety disorder (also claimed as PTSD), tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and ankle/sleeve strains. The Veteran did not submit a formal or informal claim prior to March 16, 2015.

The Veteran's low back disability and bilateral foot disabilities are granted effective from August 1, 2005.

The Veteran's service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to the service-connected disabilities of degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine with spinal fusion and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, is denied because there is no medical evidence that his obesity was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability, finding no evidence that it began during his military service or was related to any in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was reopened due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. Service connection is granted for this condition. The claim for right ear hearing loss remains denied as there is no current disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for anxiety and a low back disability due to an error in providing notice of the right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) is dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for a back disorder, bilateral foot disorders including fallen arches, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, and high blood pressure are all dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis, as well as a low back disability. The evidence is in relative equipoise that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right ankle disabilities, bilateral knee strains, and lumbar strain have been granted. However, the Veteran's right ear hearing loss has not met the criteria for a compensable disability rating.,The Board found that there is no evidence of current right ear hearing loss meeting VA criteria for disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability prior to December 13, 2021 and for TDIU prior to April 2, 2018 due to duty-to-assist errors. The case will be referred to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration on the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and right knee strain due to a duty to assist error. Additional development is needed, including obtaining a supplemental VA opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to procedural errors in the prior decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity due to incomplete records and need for further medical examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition should be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding symptom onset.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including major depressive disorder with anxious distress and mild neurocognitive disorder, migraines, bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis and lumbosacral strain (sciatica), right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right hip degenerative arthritis, and left hip degenerative arthritis have been denied. The decision does not address service connection for specific conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, gout, or diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for low back pain and a low back disorder, as well as for a cervical spine non-acute fracture of right posterior lamina with pain, need to be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is granted for a 20 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy from September 25, 2015, through April 10, 2019. The issues of service connection for tardive dyskinesia, an increased rating for lumbar strain, and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records regarding the Veteran's service dates and type of service, specifically from his Air Force Reserves and Army National Guard.

The Board remands the claim for a back condition to ensure compliance with a Joint Motion for Partial Remand, requiring an adequate medical opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements and service duties.

The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for lumbar spondylosis with multilevel disc bulge, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and stenosis, status post-dislocation of the coccyx (back disability), and a 10 percent rating for sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity effective April 12, 2016.