Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2005

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a low back disability, degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the right knee, DJD of the right shoulder, status-post rotator cuff repair, and an adjustment disorder. The veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied a higher rating for the veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease L3-L5, status post laminectomy due to the current disability picture not meeting the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, as well as his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain. The evidence did not support a finding that any current right or left knee disorder was related to military service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his lumbosacral strain, finding that his condition warranted only a 10 percent rating.

The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis, a back disorder secondary to pes planus, and denied service connection for an ankle disorder and knee disorder as secondary to pes planus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disability attributable to her military service and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a back disorder resulting from service, and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and determined that his additional low back disability is secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, warranting service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed gastrointestinal and low back disorders are not attributable to her active military service.

The Board found no evidence of a back disorder during service and concluded that the veteran's current condition is not related to her military service.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and spondylosis of cervical spine with degenerative disc disease, finding no evidence linking these conditions to active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for PTSD, service connection for back disability, heart disability, and hypertension. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a 50% rating for PTSD or establish direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board also found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim of psychiatric disability, and a right foot lesion was determined to be secondary to service-connected conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and low back disabilities are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability and determined that new evidence received since the last denial supports the reopening of the claim. The claim is now addressed on its merits.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to missing service medical records and lack of information about a jeep accident in Germany. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these issues are addressed.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the October 1968 rating decision is new but not material, and thus did not reopen the claim for service connection for a low back disorder.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for the veteran's low back disability, as it was not shown to be related to his active duty. The left knee disability is considered primary and requires further examination and opinion.

The veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, conducting a VA examination, and requesting a social and industrial survey. The TDIU claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are service-connected.