Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2006

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues on appeal prior to the Board's decision.

The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence linking the appellant's reported symptoms to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to changes in rating criteria and a need for further examination.

The Board found that the veteran did not present new and material evidence to reopen his claims for low back disability and bilateral ankle disabilities, as the submitted evidence was cumulative and did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected low back disability and bilateral pes planus do not warrant an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The appeal is denied.

The Board has found that an examination is needed to determine the diagnosis and etiology of the veteran's low back disability, which may be related to service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder and low back disorder are not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain as new and material evidence was not received, resulting in a final decision from September 1944.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, post-traumatic pleural fibrosis, a low back disability, atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, and acute otitis externa. The reasons were that there was no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year after separation, and the veteran did not have current diagnoses for some of the claimed conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and for a higher evaluation for her low back pain with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board found that the veteran's herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar spine was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor is it proximately due to a service-connected disability. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating for low back strain remains unresolved.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current lumbar spine disorder to his service, including a low back injury sustained in 1972-1973. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbar strain was denied. The claims for service connection of various conditions due to undiagnosed illnesses were also denied, except for the PTSD claim which was granted but not rated as it was placed in appellate status.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the 1947 rating decision. However, the claim remains denied as there is no competent evidence showing that any current back disability is causally related to an incident during active military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine warrants a 40 percent evaluation, effective from September 26, 2003.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and a need to obtain information related to an asbestos lawsuit.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and readjudication due to inadequacies in the previous decision regarding service connection.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature, etiology and approximate onset date of any low back disability. The veteran's service medical records show treatment for a lumbar strain in July 1976, but his current low back disability may be linked to an incident during active duty.