Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran, including a chiropractor's records and an opinion from Dr. R.W.M.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and a need for further development, including a VA orthopedic examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for her low back disability and a compensable initial rating for her right ovarian cysts.

The Board has remanded the case for consideration of an extraschedular evaluation for the veteran's low back disorder, as the Court approved a joint motion to vacate and remand only this issue.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and right knee arthritis, as both conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his low back disability, finding that the current 40 percent rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and, even if he did, there is no competent medical evidence relating these conditions to service.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to his active military service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current low back disability is linked to his time in service.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

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

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a back condition. The veteran's current low back condition is found to be at least as likely as not related to injuries sustained during his period of active service.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's low back strain, right knee tendon strain, and left knee chondromalacia.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain and postoperative fracture of the right wrist and hand, finding that his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or neurological manifestations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for additional vocational rehabilitation services and employment assistance due to a lack of an employment handicap, despite his service-connected disabilities. The veteran is currently employed but contends that he cannot secure suitable employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability is etiologically related to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service or service-connected conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within one year after discharge, and there is no medical opinion linking the veteran's current conditions to his military service. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his low back disability and denied his claim for bilateral hearing loss.,Bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability. The previous final denial was based on no findings of any permanent aggravation of a pre-existing back condition.