Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2009

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disorder existed prior to service and was noted at service entrance. The preexisting condition did not undergo an increase in severity during active service, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sciatic nerve damage to the right leg and groin has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to determine an increased evaluation for his degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VCAA notice regarding secondary service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of fracture, right 5th metacarpal was granted. The claim for low back strain was denied as there is no medical evidence linking the current condition to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to procedural deficiencies in the rating decisions.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disease with degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis, including radiculopathy of the right leg, is related to his service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for L4/L5 bulge with numbness down the left thigh and spina bifida occulta, finding that there was no medical nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his military service and have denied all of his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is found to be related to service. Cervical spine degenerative disc disease and leg cramps are not shown to be related to service.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for depression and a low back disability, finding that there is no evidence of such conditions in service or any link to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and consideration of newly received evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have degenerative disc disease at L4-5 that is causally or etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board finds that it is more likely due to a natural progression of his condition rather than an in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, low back, and left foot conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service. The preexisting skin graft scar of the left knee did not undergo a permanent increase in disability as a result of active service.

The Board finds that a new substantive appeal was timely filed, perfecting an appeal of the October 2005 rating decision that denied service connection for a low back disorder, to include degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with myopathy and myalgia.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant's claim for accrued benefits is denied due to late filing.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 60 percent, and the Board finds that an evaluation in excess of this rating is not warranted. The claim for TDIU is also denied.