Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2009

The Board found that the earliest possible effective date for the grant of service connection for mechanical low back pain, instability of the right knee, and instability of the left knee is November 18, 1997.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss as the conditions were not shown to be related to the veteran's military service.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain as new and material evidence was not received.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was remanded to the RO for further adjudication and development.

The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes and strain of the lumbar spine from September 1, 2003 to August 3, 2008, but granted a 40 percent rating effective August 4, 2008. The Board also denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for postoperative residuals of an injury of the right quadriceps tendon.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or incident that caused the condition, and the veteran's current disability is not shown to be related to his period of active duty.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding no evidence of a chronic disability during service or continuity of symptomatology to link the current condition with service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder other than post-traumatic stress disorder, hypertension, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, arthritis of the hands, chronic fatigue syndrome, and back disability. The claims to reopen for arthritis of the knees and stress fractures of the legs and feet were also denied.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and headaches as they were not related to the veteran's active military service. The effective date of October 15, 1996, for the grant of service connection for PTSD was upheld.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for DDD with chronic low back pain and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for DJD of the left knee, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings under applicable criteria.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, neck disability, and skin disability as there was no credible evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and the veteran's active duty.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc/joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that it was related to an injury incurred during active duty from February 2003 to April 2004.

The Board remands the case to schedule a Travel Board Hearing for the veteran.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, chronic navicular fracture of the left lower extremity, left hip tendonitis and plantar fasciitis are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, finding no evidence that it was related to his active military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his service-connected residuals of injury to the thoracic and lumbar spine is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such nature and severity so as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability, as there was no evidence of ankylosis or neurologic impairment that would warrant a higher rating.

The appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and a re-adjudication of the veteran's claims.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent, as the symptoms were found to be manifested by occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.