Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a back injury or disorder in service, and the current back disorder has not been related to military service. As such, the claim for service connection for a back disorder is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a right eye condition, paranoid schizophrenia, and a back disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board granted the veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative arthritis of both knees, as well as reopening his claim for service connection for a bilateral wrist condition. The veteran was also granted TDIU.

The Board has granted a disability evaluation of 60 percent for service-connected lumbosacral disc disease with arthritis prior to December 19, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disability or bilateral foot disability that is related to service. The claim for headaches remains pending.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, examinations, and further development of her case.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a back disability. The original claim for bilateral hip disability was denied, but no effective date is assigned as it relates to reopening of claims.

The Board has decided that the case needs further development and remands it to the RO for additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability. The reopened claim is granted, as there is no medical evidence establishing a nexus between the veteran's current back disorder and his military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records and examinations for the veteran's lumbosacral strain and tinea versicolor, as well as to ensure that all development actions have been conducted in full.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased evaluation for bilateral orchitis. The evidence did not establish a direct link between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Board has granted a 40 percent evaluation for the veteran's low back disability, including lumbar disc disease and right-sided radiculopathy, effective October 1, 2002. The rating is based on combined evaluations of orthopedic and neurological manifestations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability as secondary to his right ankle disability, and denied an increase in rating for his right ankle disability. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his low back disorder is related to his military service, including as secondary to his already service-connected left and right shin splints with a history of tibial stress fractures.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's multilevel lumbosacral degenerative disc disease (at levels L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1) incurred during active service. The issue of left ear hearing loss is remanded to obtain a VA compensation examination that will determine the etiology of the veteran's current bilateral defective hearing.

The veteran's cervical spine disability was not rated higher than 10 percent prior to September 7, 2005. From September 7, 2005, the disability was rated at 20 percent. The left arm and shoulder disabilities were not found to be related to his service-connected cervical strain with degenerative disc disease.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current low back disability to his military service and denied the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, neck disorder, and hip disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.