Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was granted as of June 10, 1964.,The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of factual ascertainability during the year preceding July 10, 1995.

The Board granted a higher initial rating of 10 percent for low back strain, effective from March 26, 2002. The veteran experienced pain during flare-ups and after prolonged standing or sitting, with her range of motion decreasing to moderately limited.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service connection awards, finding that no earlier date is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including VA examinations to determine if any chronic acquired low back and bilateral hip disorders are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA spine examination and consideration of whether separate disability ratings are warranted for neurological involvement. The veteran's claim remains on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, including sacralization of L5/S1 and lumbar disc disease, as well as cervical spine disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development of medical records and consideration of additional evidence, including a VA spine examination.

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

The Board denied entitlement to an extra-schedular rating for a chronic lumbosacral strain and denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The veteran's nonservice-connected herniated disc disorder was found to be the primary cause of his total disability.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current low back disability, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, is not related to her period of active duty for training in 1982 and therefore cannot be service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an automobile or adaptive equipment grant due to lack of loss of use of a foot or ankylosis of a hip or knee.

The Board found that the veteran's back disability, which is productive of limitation of function with complaints of chronic pain but without evidence of any disc disease involvement, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability was not incurred during service and is unrelated to his military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a chronic sinus disorder or chronic low back disorder, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

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

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and a disability of the lumbar spine as there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's active service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for osteoarthritic changes of the thoracic and lumbar spine. The case is remanded for further development, including a VA orthopedic evaluation.

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

The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, lumbar spine (orthopedic manifestations) has been rated at 40 percent since July 2003. The rating remains unchanged.