Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2004

The veteran's service-connected left foot disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has requested a VA medical opinion and the veteran's case is being remanded to the RO for further consideration.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, and the Board has determined that a 40 percent rating should be granted effective from April 8, 1999 to September 26, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum from a VA physician. The issues of entitlement to higher initial ratings for hypothyroidism and chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spondylolisthesis are pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including the issuance of a statement of the case (SOC) on earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder, encephalopathy, vasculitis, and back disability, all of which were claimed to be related to exposure to vesicant agents during military service. The VA also determined that the veteran was not entitled to nonservice-connected disability pension.

The veteran's service-connected right and left knee strain were granted with a 10 percent rating from August 1, 1991. Service connection for a low back disorder was also granted.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic low back disability incurred or aggravated by service, and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, claimed as secondary to his service-connected left knee disorder is being remanded due to further development of the evidence. The issue of increased rating for his left knee disorder remains pending.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for various spinal and ankle conditions have been remanded due to procedural deficiencies in the notification process.

The veteran's degenerative disc disease, L5-S1, was granted a 20 percent disability rating effective from April 2001. The separate 10 percent rating for decreased sensation, right lower extremity (radiculitis L5-S1 level) remains at 10 percent.

The Board has restored the veteran's 10 percent disability rating for low back pain as of September 1, 2002.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran seeks service connection for a low back disorder, including degenerative joint disease and disc disease of the lumbosacral spine. The case is being remanded to allow for further development and consideration.

The Board denied service connection for a left heel disability and the claim for a higher rating for a low back disability. The veteran's current symptoms do not meet the criteria for service connection as his claimed conditions are not shown to be related to active duty.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a low back disorder and found that new evidence supports this reopening. The case is remanded to further develop the record before readjudicating the merits of the claim.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the veteran's upper back disorder to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support these conditions as being incurred during or related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development of the record, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's low back disability and bilateral pes planus.