Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's low back condition did not originate in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling an orthopedic examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete evidence and potential treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and his cervical strain is also rated at 10 percent. The Board denied both claims for higher evaluations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability, finding that his current condition is related to active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is not manifested by any limitation of motion that would warrant a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, status post laminectomy at L4-5 due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's missing teeth are not considered compensable under VA compensation laws.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for a total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO/AMC for further development and adjudication of his TDIU claim, as well as related service connection claims. The RO/AMC will provide a VA examination to assess whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone result in unemployability.

The Board found no credible evidence of an in-service injury or continuity of symptomatology thereafter, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability.

The Board found that the reduction of the Veteran's service-connected low back strain disability rating from 20% to 10% was proper, effective April 1, 2008.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and neck disorders, as well as his claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss. The decision is final due to previous denials.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to determine the etiology of his heart disability, back disability, right leg neurological disability, and scar on the head.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder is related to his military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of any chronic low back disorder.

The Board has found no evidence of a back injury or disease in service, and the Veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran is seeking benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for disability of the lumbar spine, claimed as the result of treatment (spinal decompression) received from a VA medical facility in May 2006. The case is being remanded to obtain additional evidence and possibly an updated medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to address secondary service connection for a low back disability, which was raised by the Veteran. The claim will be adjudicated again with further development and evidence.