Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his bilateral hand disabilities. The examiner found no objective evidence of organic pathology related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, back disability, residuals of right shoulder injury, and residuals of left shoulder injury are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but the claim for lumbar spine disorder remains pending.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities meet the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating, effective March 19, 2003.

The Board has determined that the appellant is in need of regular aid and attendance due to her multiple, severely disabling physical disabilities, including significant visual acuity and field of vision disorders. The evidence supports a finding that she requires assistance with activities such as dressing, basic hygiene, feeding, toileting, bending to tie shoe laces, and walking at night.

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

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer, bilateral elbow disabilities, DJD of hips and knees/ankles, plantar calcaneal spur, low back disability, loss of teeth, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, specifically chronic lumbar strain with degenerative changes and PTSD. His fragment wound scar of the left arm warrants a 10 percent rating.

The Board has ordered additional development of the Veteran's service treatment records to determine if there are any medical records from his hospitalization following a parachute accident in service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various injuries and conditions, but the appeal will be remanded due to incomplete evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and back disabilities, finding that there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active duty or to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to in-service acoustic trauma, while his low back injury residuals may be related to service. The claim for low back injury residuals is being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lower lumbar spine is being remanded due to concerns about the adequacy of the November 2006 examination.

The Board has found that further development is required to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back disorder, including whether it is related to service or her service-connected foot disorders.

The Veteran's low back degenerative disc, joint, and facet disease has not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and a right knee disability have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for low back disorder, migraine headaches, lower extremity disorder, respiratory disorder, and vision disorder. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or Graves' disease attributable to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, claimed as a low back disability. The evidence presented since the previous denial shows that the current lumbar spine disability may be related to an injury or assault during service.

The Board has remanded the case to the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office for an opinion on whether any currently shown back disorder is attributable to service. The appellant's attorney notes that the claimant associates his back problems with his demanding in-service physical duties, such as setting up camouflage nets.