Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability did not cause his death from sepsis and urinary tract infection. The Board finds that the Veteran's dementia, which broke the chain of causation between the fall and subsequent complications, contributed to his death.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability, but finds that additional development is required before adjudicating the merits of his claim.

The Veteran's low back disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and arthritis of the back may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The right knee and right shoulder disabilities are each rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify service stressors and determine the presence of PTSD, sleep apnea, and low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete findings and insufficient rationale in a previous VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability warrants a 40 percent rating, effective from May 16, 2001.

The Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The right and left ankle disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for increased ratings.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to service connection and reopening of claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including searching for missing service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and residuals of a left rotator cuff injury, finding that these conditions are not related to his military service. The claim for hypertension secondary to PTSD is referred to the RO for further consideration.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a right foot disorder, right knee disorder, heart disorder, prostatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and degenerative disc disease of the spine. The decision also addressed service connection on a secondary basis for Meniere's Disease.

The Board found that the appellant's low back disability was not incurred in service and is not related to his service-connected stress fractures of the tibia. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions, including cancers and neurological disorders, all potentially related to exposure to burn pits. The case is being remanded for additional medical records and verification of a claimed stressor.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a low back disorder that was caused or aggravated by his service, or by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was denied service connection, and his claim for an extraschedular evaluation of his back disability is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board found that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for right knee disability, lumbar disc disease, and erectile dysfunction and sterility. The Veteran's back condition was not shown to be related to his military service, and there is no evidence of radiation exposure or a relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal involves disagreement with the initial disability rating assigned for lumbosacral spine disability, and the Board has remanded the case to allow for further development including VA examinations and consideration of additional evidence.