Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability and obtaining any outstanding medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, right shin splints, left shin splints, and a right femoral condyle disability. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his service-connected back, left knee, and right knee disabilities are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of his right knee disability, service connection for a left knee disability secondary to his right knee disability, and service connection for a low back disability secondary to his right knee disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Veteran's low back disability has been productive of subjective complaints of pain and difficulty doing strenuous activity, but objective findings do not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, headaches, and right knee disorder have been denied. The claim for headaches has been granted as new and material evidence has been received.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed cervical spine, shoulder, and knee disorders are not related to service. The evidence does not show a chronic disability of these conditions during service or within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issues include service connection and rating claims related to his lumbar spine conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a back disorder, which he contends is related to his military service and/or secondary to other service-connected conditions. The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claim can be decided.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her thoracic spine and low back disabilities were granted, with the effective dates varying based on when each issue was resolved.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed genitourinary disorder and low back disorder.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back condition, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss disability have been reopened. The Board has granted these claims.,Service connection is established for PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining recent VA treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's current degenerative disc disease at L5 is not related to his service, including a back strain in 1971 and an injury in 1984. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial compensable rating were granted. The lumbar strain with a history of myofascial syndrome was rated at 20 percent, chronic sinusitis at 10 percent, and deviated nasal septum status post septoplasty received an initial compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease, as well as his claim for service connection for a left knee sprain secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability were denied.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise and that there is a reasonable basis to relate the Veteran's current low back disability to his active service based on the medical and lay evidence presented in this case, which establishes that it is at least as likely as not that some portion of the Veteran's low back disability is related to his service. Therefore, service connection for a low back disability is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was denied. His service-connected cervical spine disability remains unconnected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an extension of a temporary total rating based on convalescence and increased ratings for his left shoulder disability and cervical spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding records and the need for additional medical examinations.