Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before a decision can be rendered in this case, including obtaining records from Cu Chi hospitals and providing the Veteran with an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for low back pain with X-ray findings of L5-S1 degenerative changes, finding no new and material evidence.

The Veteran's back disability is not shown to be related to service, and the Board finds his testimony regarding continuity of symptoms since service to be incredible. As such, he does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected right shoulder chronic tendonitis and degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability is related to an in-service injury and granted service connection for it.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient service department records regarding the Appellant's dates of active duty, ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. The claim will be readjudicated after obtaining this information.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back strain and granted it. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not shown to be related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's back disability did not have its clinical onset in service or is otherwise related to active duty or service-connected residuals of a left medial collateral ligament tear.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic low back strain with degenerative disc disease is manifested by constant pain, decreased range of motion, and muscle spasm. The disability meets the criteria for a 40 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back disability and acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as to ensure that all relevant records are associated with his claims file.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and correctly decide the Veteran's claims, including records of treatment prior to 2000, morning reports from service, and VA clinical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for a clarification of whether the Veteran's lumbar spine DDD and right hip replacement are related to his service-connected bilateral hammertoe surgery. The case is returned to the RO for further action.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service-connected left hip fracture and does not meet the criteria for direct service connection. The evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, specifically to obtain private treatment records and afford the Veteran a VA examination. The case is now pending with the RO/AMC.

The Board has ordered additional examinations and development due to the Veteran's testimony of increased severity of her service-connected conditions, which may affect her ability to work. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability was rated at 20 percent prior to April 11, 2007. From April 11, 2007 onwards, the rating was increased to 40 percent.

The Veteran's low back disability, left lower extremity paresthesias, and prostatic hyperplasia have been granted higher initial ratings. The low back disability received a 10% rating prior to July 31, 2007; a 40% rating from July 31, 2007 to February 21, 2008; and a 20% rating thereafter. The left lower extremity paresthesias received a 20% rating prior to February 21, 2008; and a 10% rating thereafter. The prostatic hyperplasia received a 10% rating throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, including whether it is related to his active service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic, identifiable low back disorder in service and concluded that the Veteran's current arthritis and degenerative disc disease are not related to his inservice injury. The appeal is denied.