Back / lumbar spine — all decisions

The Board granted service connection for peptic ulcer disease and denied service connection for a low back disability, with some issues remanded.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating, service connection as secondary to a back disability, TDIU, and SMC due to the need for aid and attendance.

The Board grants service connection for a back disability, diagnosed as increased thoracic kyphosis and reduced cervical lordosis.

The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, and CFS. The Veteran's hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy, shoulder disability, knee meniscal tear, knee limitation of extension, knee scars, GERD, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and PTSD were also not rated higher than their current levels.

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder and cervical pain but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board also granted ratings of 10 percent or 20 percent for several conditions from specific dates.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder and right ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for various other conditions.

The Board remands the claim for a low back condition to obtain additional evidence and ensure an adequate medical opinion is provided.

The Board granted an effective date of January 21, 2022, for the award of service connection for PTSD and a rating of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) effective December 20, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right eye dry eyes, cataracts of the left and right eyes, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left renal arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, recurrent subluxation of the left knee prior to May 13, 2020, left total knee replacement, disability rating in excess of 60 percent from September 1, 2021, forward for left total knee replacement, DJD of the right knee, right knee instability, burns of the bilateral ankles, linear scar of the left knee, post-surgical tender scars of the left knee, and a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) based upon service-connected disabilities prior to June 14, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied increased ratings for various conditions, including loss of the sense of smell, urinary problems, erectile dysfunction, and Parkinson's disease, among others.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, finding it to be etiologically related to the Veteran's active service. The claims for service connection for a left hip disability, lower back disability, and cervical spine disability were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a heart condition, back disability, nodes in lungs, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and sleep disorder to obtain additional evidence.

The Board denied higher disability ratings for the veteran's low back and lower extremity radiculopathies, pseudofolliculitis barbae, pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, to include spinal stenosis, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine based on the Veteran's limited range of motion, which did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and a hiatal hernia as there was no evidence of these conditions during the Veteran's active duty or in the years following, despite his service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board granted a rating of 50 percent for PTSD, but no higher. The claims for service connection for low back condition and right hip trochanteric pain syndrome were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a low back condition based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's low back condition began in and continued since service.

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD and persistent mood disorder, granted a 40 percent initial rating for low back disability, and denied initial ratings higher than 10 percent for plantar fasciitis and radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities involving the sciatic nerve.