Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2006

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

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected low back disorder and continued the noncompensable rating for his right inguinal hernia.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, Heart Disorder (including hypertension), and Back Disorder. The evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD or establish a causal link between current symptoms and military service. Service connection was also denied for Heart Disorder due to lack of in-service treatment records and failure to meet presumptive criteria. For the Back Disorder claim, while the veteran reported an injury during service, there were no medical records linking his current condition to service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his back and leg disorders, render him unable to protect himself from the hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The Board finds that he is in need of regular aid and attendance.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a new examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for genitourinary disorder, including kidney and left varicocele disorders, as well as low back disorder. The claim for an increased rating for chalazion of the left eye was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbosacral spine disability warrants a 60 percent rating as of March 30, 1998.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back, left knee, or right knee disability that is related to his service-connected left ankle disability. The claims are therefore denied.

The VA denied the veteran's request for an increased evaluation of his degenerative disc disease and scoliosis dorsal and lumbar spine disability, currently rated at 40 percent. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hip disorders and low back disorder are causally related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The VA determined that the veteran's low back disability, rated as 20 percent disabling for lumbosacral strain, does not warrant a higher rating based on current symptoms and examination findings.

The Board denied claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, finding that there was no clear evidence of aggravation by service or other medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and denied service connection for a mid-back disability. The veteran's right knee is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral knee disorders and low back disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred, and are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected pes planus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's post-traumatic degenerative changes of the low back and right knee were incurred in service, and he is entitled to a higher initial rating for his status post stress fracture of the right fifth metatarsal with mild bony expansion.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and PTSD. The veteran's current diagnoses of psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, were not established by the evidence.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further examination. The issues of entitlement to an increased evaluation for his lower back disability and service connection for a psychiatric disorder are pending.