Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2007

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and consideration of the new evidence.

The veteran seeks service connection for various hip, knee, shoulder, and back disabilities. The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a herniated lumbar disc with radicular pain as secondary to the veteran's service-connected bilateral foot callosities and painful clavi with hammertoe deformities. The disability rating for the veteran's bilateral foot callosities and painful clavi with hammertoe deformities remains at 30 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, residuals of a right knee injury including patellofemoral degenerative joint disease, and left knee disability under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain and restoration of a 20 percent rating for his service-connected left knee disability. The reduction in the left knee evaluation was found to be proper based on improvement noted after surgery.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of revised rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (T/R) for further development. The case will be returned to the RO after necessary examinations are conducted.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder claimed as secondary to service connected left and right knee disabilities.

The veteran's mechanical low back pain was rated at 10 percent from April 26, 2004, to February 24, 2005. The initial compensable rating for bronchitis has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's chronic spine disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's current disabilities were first manifested many years after his discharge from active service and there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to an event in service.

The Board has denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a back injury, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board found that the RO's decision denying service connection for a back disorder was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board denied both claims for service connection and an increased rating, finding that the veteran's current low back disorder did not have its onset during active service or as a result of his service-connected scar of the abdomen.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a low back disability and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's cervical spine disability, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The VA has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability, with a history of fracture to C5-6, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 40 percent due to moderate limitation of motion and no neurologic manifestations.

The veteran's lumbosacral strain disability was increased from 10 percent to 20 percent.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for the claimed low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral leg disabilities.