Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2009

The appeal is remanded for additional medical opinions on the etiology of defective hearing and low back pain.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a low back disorder as there was no evidence linking it to the Veteran's active duty service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, degenerative joint disease of the cervical and thoracic spines, and neuropathy of the right arm, all found to be related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claim for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and scheduling a VA examination.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing the Veteran with proper notice regarding his petition to reopen a claim for service connection for hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for a neck or back disability as there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service, arthritis within one year after discharge, or a link between the current disabilities and service.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a low back condition, including as secondary to a service-connected left knee condition, for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was aggravated during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The claims for secondary service connection for a bilateral hip, ankle, and low back disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective date were partially denied; the Board found that a 20 percent rating was appropriate between November 30, 2004 and August 7, 2008 for his low back disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been productive of moderate limitation of motion throughout the appeal period, warranting a 20 percent rating.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current condition was related to his military service.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine with loss of motion and residuals of a strain of the ligamentous structure of the lumbar spine area.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right foot injury, a cyst on the back of the neck, an eye condition, and a low back disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities or that any of these conditions were related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine was denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cerebrovascular accident, to include as secondary to service-connected cervical myositis, was also denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right hemiparesis and depressive disorder were not addressed in this decision due to the remand status of these claims.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was granted, with a rating of 40% effective March 12, 2009.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity was granted, with a rating of 40% effective March 12, 2009.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities was not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, bilateral pes planus, leg disorder, and coronary artery disease as there was no evidence to show that these conditions were caused by or worsened during active military service.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's low back disability, as well as to obtain any outstanding medical records and SSA records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence regarding secondary service connection claims.

The Veteran was granted service connection for a low back condition and cervical cancer, both determined to have had their clinical onset during her period of active service.