Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome (IDVS) with lumbosacral strain, spinal fusion, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, lumbar spine scar, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete medical records and lack of a clear opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability.

Service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted. The appeals for insomnia, tension headaches, and right leg radiculopathy are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and tinnitus. The Veteran's in-service symptoms of back pain have been linked to her current condition.,Service connection is denied for disability manifested by incontinence.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of five service connection issues due to an improper docketing error, resulting in duplicate appeals. The Veteran's claims will be considered under a separate hearing docket.

The Veteran's spine disability is rated at 40 percent, the maximum rating available under current criteria. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's right knee condition and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease were granted service connection effective August 6, 1985.,The Veteran's RLE radiculopathy was granted service connection effective July 11, 2003. The LLE radiculopathy claim is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis prior to September 23, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for HIV, back condition, hypertension, emphysema, and bilateral leg conditions due to a failure to consider all VA treatment records from the time of service until the rating decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of both lower extremities and lumbar spine disability. The case is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.,The Board found insufficient evidence to grant service connection for various conditions, including acid reflux and sleep apnea, due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and lumbosacral strain, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The claim for an increased rating for hiatal hernia with GERD was denied as the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. Service connection claims for blepharitis, trichiasis, lumbosacral radiculopathy and piriformis syndrome, peripheral neuropathy of the right side, and peripheral neuropathy of the left side were also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, and left shoulder arthritis due to new evidence received after the initial decision. The Veteran is required to undergo examinations and provide medical opinions regarding whether his current disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain with retrolisthesis is rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board denied an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty, but additional evidence is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than July 20, 2022, for service connection of right hip osteoarthritis with limitation of flexion and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) due to lack of evidence showing entitlement prior to that date.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiners' opinions.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased disability ratings for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has completed at least four years of college and worked as a college professor for over 30 years. The Board finds that the combined effect of his service-connected conditions does not preclude him from participating in a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 20, 2021, for service connection of intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with sacroiliac injury, lumbosacral strain, and degenerative disc disease (DDD), left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to IVDS, right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to IVDS, and a linear low back scar microdiscectomy as secondary to IVDS.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for various conditions due to a lack of an initial substitution eligibility determination by the AOJ.