Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2006

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service for the claimed conditions and denied all claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, depression, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The veteran's preexisting spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis was not aggravated by service, and there is no evidence linking his current diagnoses to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his service-connected low back, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's service-connected back disorder. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board granted a disability rating of 40 percent for fibromyositis secondary to spondylolysis of L5 and spina bifida occulta of S1, effective April 15, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities of otitis media, low back disability, or left knee disability for which service connection can be granted.

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

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board denies entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Board also concludes that the veteran's current low back disability is related to his military service, granting the benefits sought.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a videoconference hearing. The veteran's appeal will be returned to the RO after the hearing is conducted.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's lumbar spine disorder and his service-connected status post-gunshot wound of the left leg, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred as a result of his active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The issues regarding increased ratings for service-connected lumbosacral strain and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for back, hyperflexion injury to the neck, left knee, right knee, and chest pain conditions. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a back disorder incurred during service, and the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and evidence from SSA.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disability, specifically degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, was incurred during active service.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the veteran's current upper and lower back disorders to her active military service, including a 1956 airplane accident. The Board denied both claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and a left foot injury, as well as his service connection claims for a respiratory disorder and a back disorder. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of cervical spine disorder and increased rating for his lumbar back disability. The veteran's cervical spine disorder was not found to be caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability, including herniated nucleus pulposus, lumbar paravertebral myositis with tenosynovitis, and L4-5 bulging disc. For the period prior to July 31, 1996, the veteran's service-connected back disability did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent. As of July 31, 1996, the criteria for a higher rating were also not met.