Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2005

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration of the veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty in the underlying etiology of the veteran's back disability, including levoscoliosis. The RO is instructed to obtain a VA medical opinion to determine if the current back disability is related to service or other causes.

The veteran is seeking service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine. The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and further development needed.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, Type I, and low back disability. The veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim of service connection for low back disability was reopened based on the submission of certain evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for the right ulna and radius injuries, but denied service connection for a back disability. The rating for the right ulna and radius injuries remains at 10 percent after accounting for pre-existing impairment. The left knee chondromalacia is rated at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a higher rating for his low back disability due to incomplete verification of stressors and need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is required.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her claims, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the severity of her bilateral pes planus, low back disability, sinusitis, and right hip disorder.

The veteran's low back disorder, characterized by multilevel degenerative disc disease with spinal canal stenosis, causes persistent symptoms compatible with sciatic neuropathy and has been rated at 60 percent since the March 2002 rating decision.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability, characterized by degenerative joint disease and spondylosis at L5, has been granted an initial rating of 40 percent, effective from the date of the award of service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder. The medical evidence shows that the veteran had pre-existing L5 spondylolysis and L5-S1 spondylolisthesis during military service, which continued after discharge and was aggravated by a motor vehicle accident in November 2000.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination, as well as issuance of a Statement of the Case on the issues of increased evaluations for stress fractures of the left and right anterior tibias, right patellofemoral chondromalacia, and scoliosis and low back strain.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional evidence and examination, including medical records from VA facilities and private doctors. The veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are pending.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected low back disability was denied, and the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in permanent loss of use of one or both feet, qualifying him for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment.

The Board denied a higher evaluation for tinnitus and did not address the other issues as they were set aside by the Court. The veteran's service-connected mechanical low back pain is rated at 20 percent from January 5, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for various conditions, including his lumbar spine and shoulder disabilities, have not been met under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and TDIU due to his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected low back disability, which is currently rated at 20 percent.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on July 25, 2001 are eligible for payment or reimbursement due to the emergency nature of his treatment and the lack of feasible VA availability.