Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and cervical spine disorders, as well as his swelling of the wrist, fingers, and knees, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The gastrointestinal disorder was also denied due to lack of evidence connecting it to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development of his claim, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for a neurological examination.

The Board found that the submitted evidence was not material to reopen the claim of service connection for a low back condition.

The Veteran has withdrawn all of his appeals, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review these claims.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for arthritis of the cervical spine was granted. The claim to reopen his disability of the lumbar spine was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder and remanded it for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and Workman's Compensation records. A VA examination is also needed to determine if the Veteran's current low back disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right hand/wrist disability, right ankle disability, and cervical spine disability have been denied. The right hand/wrist disability is currently rated at 10% due to limitation of motion. The right ankle disability has been granted a 10% rating based on moderate instability with flare-ups approximately four to five times per month resulting in pain and swelling.

The Board denied service connection for low back pain and hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from service or were not proximately caused by her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, respiratory problems including sinusitis and/or rhinitis, right elbow disability, body aches and joint pain including low back, hip, neck and bilateral knee pain, sleep impairment, fatigue, night sweats, and memory loss. The claims are based on evidence that was reopened due to new and material information.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to address the relationship between Reiter's syndrome and his service-connected disabilities. The issue of entitlement to TDIU will also be addressed.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of a low back injury, finding no new and material evidence. The appeal is based on the reopening of an unappealed October 2001 rating decision that initially denied this claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of the TDIU claim. The issues include seeking an increased rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar arthritis and determining whether he is unemployable due to this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is service-connected, but his right ankle disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a spine examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection for back injury, increased hearing loss rating, and TDIU will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not attributable to any incident or injury during military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of spondylolisthesis and right knee fracture were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims were also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of bilateral hearing loss, chronic low back pain (L1-L3), and a bilateral ankle disability have been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, lumbar degenerative disc disease, and bilateral knee condition were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.