Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2009

The Veteran withdrew the appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection claims related to bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and flat feet with secondary back disability.

The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for his low back disability and a separate initial 10 percent rating for associated radiculopathy, effective from June 3, 2004. No compensable rating was assigned for bilateral hearing loss.

The appeal was denied service connection for a low back disorder, including arthritis, to include as secondary to the service-connected pilonidal cyst. The increased rating claim for pilonidal cyst scar with peripheral neuropathy is being remanded.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence and readjudication.

The Veteran's hypertension, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the shoulder and osteoarthritis of the left ankle were not related to his service or any incident during active service.

The Board denied service connection for chronic lumbar strain, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and residuals of an injury to the left eye as there is no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between the condition and his military service.

The Veteran was granted a 10% rating for post nasal trauma and service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and herniated disc pulposus, but the claim to reopen for right carpal tunnel syndrome was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability and PTSD based on personal assault due to lack of credible evidence supporting the claimed in-service stressor and no medical evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The claim for service connection for a stomach disorder was denied as new and material evidence has not been presented.,The application to reopen the claim of service connection for a stomach disorder is denied.,PTSD was granted based on a diagnosis related to an in-service assault, which meets the criteria for service connection.,The application to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disorder is granted; however, the claim for service connection for a back disorder is not met.,Service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence that it is related to service or any incident therein.,The application to reopen the claim of service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that it was not caused by his service-connected left knee disability or his period of military service.

The veteran's low back disability was rated at various levels based on the severity of symptoms and functional impairment over different periods.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to consider them.

The appellant's lower back disability was rated at 60 percent, but no higher, for the periods in question.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and a compensable evaluation for tinea versicolor, finding no evidence linking the conditions to active service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability as secondary to the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, based on medical evidence showing no relationship between the two conditions.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current low back disorder to service, and denied the claim.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining SSA records.