Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Veteran's low back disability is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected bilateral foot disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, to include lumbosacral strain, finding that no new and material evidence had been received since the July 1970 denial.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

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

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition and finds that he is entitled to this benefit due to his current disability being related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records from his service period to the present, as well as a VA orthopedic examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder. The Veteran's application was initially denied in July 2005, but reopened due to the submission of additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claims for service connection for a back disorder, headaches, and a psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are supported by medical evidence, but there is also significant probative evidence against their etiology being related to his military service.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain service medical records and personnel records for the Veteran's service prior to April 1992. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral ankle, knee, and low back disabilities are related to his in-service right tibia fracture. As such, service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, residuals of fractured L4 likely increased in severity during his second period of active service. The claim is granted as the disability was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of service-connected degenerative disc disease, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral wrist and hand disability (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome) were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for the lumbar spine condition or establish service connection for the claimed disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher evaluations for cervical and lumbar spine arthritis, finding that his disability did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has granted a rating of 40 percent for the orthopedic manifestations of the Veteran's low back disability, effective from November 4, 2009. The Veteran previously had a 20 percent evaluation prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development of the evidence and due process development, including scheduling a VA orthopedic examination.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a chronic back disability related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for chronic low back injury residuals and chronic urinary tract infections have been granted. The claim for dysmenorrhea remains pending.