Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2005

The Board denied service connection for a back disability in September 1989. The veteran has submitted new evidence since then, including medical records and SSA records indicating his current condition is related to post-service injuries rather than military service. As the evidence does not clearly establish that the current condition is related to service, the decision remains mixed - some issues are granted (the reopening of the claim), while others remain denied (service connection).

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection for low back injury and PTSD. The case is being remanded to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including low back pain and bilateral knee disability, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected disabilities and obtain relevant medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for DJD, bilateral knees and pain with loss of sensation, bilateral feet as secondary to the veteran's low back disability. The effective date remains June 25, 2002.

The appellant has withdrawn their appeal regarding the issues of service connection for a left knee disability and secondary service connection for a back disability. As such, the Board dismisses the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for low back condition and left shoulder condition, finding that both conditions are related to the veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, to include left convexed scoliosis, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and notification under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are preventing him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, and the RO is directed to schedule a VA examination for his orthopedic conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar strain, left shoulder disorder, and chronic headaches are service-connected. The respiratory, sinus, and knee disorders have not been established as service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disability has been primarily manifested by pain on use with limitation of motion and mild peripheral neuropathy, but without evidence of incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome requiring bed rest. Therefore, a higher rating was not warranted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected arthritis of the left hip and chronic lumbar strain with lumbago. The veteran was currently receiving a 60% rating for the hip condition, but the claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for the lumbar strain was denied.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for ankylosing spondylitis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of November 17, 1997 for a 40 percent rating for his service-connected arthritis of the lumbar spine with L5-S1 disc degeneration was granted.,The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 2, 1999 for TDIU (Total Disability Rating Based on Unemployability) was also granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and an increased evaluation for his lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, finding that the fibromyalgia was not incurred in or aggravated by service nor causally related to his service-connected low back disorder.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his low back strain is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of revised rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and did not reopen his claims for low back, anxiety, and COPD. The evidence submitted since the 1976 rating decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating any claim.

The veteran was granted a total evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities effective July 30, 2002. The decision is based on the severity of his service-connected back disability and neurogenic bladder.

The veteran was granted initial compensable ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, as well as lumbosacral strain from October 30, 2002 to May 17, 2004.,From May 18, 2004 onwards, he was granted initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, as well as lumbosacral strain.