Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2009

The Board grants service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left total knee replacement.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, cervical spine disability, psoriasis, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a continuity of treatment or a medical nexus between his military service and these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for chronic left epididymitis but denied service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of a back disability during active duty or within one year after separation and that the current back disability is not related to active duty.

The appeal was remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart murmur, arthritis of the hip secondary to a low back disorder, and for reopening his claim for a low back disorder as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent prior to March 25, 2005, and no higher than 20 percent since then.

The Board remands the case for further development, including an examination to assess incontinence as a complication of the Veteran's disc disease and to obtain private treatment records.

The case is being remanded for additional development and consideration, including providing the Veteran with VCAA notice.

The Board denied a compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and denied increased ratings greater than 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and greater than 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's thoracolumbar osteoarthritis disability.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and DEA benefits.

The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for traumatic degenerative disease of the lumbosacral spine, effective from June 30, 2008.

The appeal is remanded for further development and completion of due process requirements.

The appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently has a back disorder and whether it is related to her military service.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was not shown to be etiologically related to any injury or disease contracted during his active duty service.

The Veteran is entitled to a 100 percent rating for sarcoidosis due to FEV-1 less than 40 percent of the predicted value. The criteria for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease at L4-5 and L5-S1 have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation or grant of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, finding that it was not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus disability. The claims for increased evaluations of lumbosacral strain and diabetic peripheral neuropathy were remanded for further development.

The Veteran was granted a temporary total rating and extension of no longer than one year, based on convalescence from March 31, 2005, for tendonitis of the right ankle.