Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2011

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for low back and neck disabilities, but new evidence does not establish a relationship between these conditions and active duty service.,Service connection for gouty arthritis is not established as there is no chronicity of symptomatology or direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right knee, low back, or right hip disability. The claim for service connection for PTSD is denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues except arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) is dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran has coronary artery disease, presumed to have been incurred due to herbicide exposure during his Vietnam service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of intervertebral disc syndrome (IDS) criteria.

The case is REMANDED to the RO for additional development as requested.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including tinea pedis, refractive error of the eyes, dislocated thumbs, depression/psychiatric disorder, asthma, and a back disorder are mixed. The evidence presented since final decisions is considered new and material in some cases but not others.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss, and scheduling him for an updated VA spine examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to gather pertinent evidence and provide proper notice.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine and hip disabilities are being remanded to allow for additional development of the record.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability. The Veteran's ovarian cyst is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran was granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The low back disorder is also service connected.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus) has been established.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted, and his left ear disability is also granted. The cases of the right foot retained foreign body and duodenal ulcer are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and low back disorder were not incurred or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for either condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar strain is related to his service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. However, the left knee disability and right knee disability are not found to be directly related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's renal cancer was caused by herbicide exposure and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. The appeal is now pending with the RO.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected advanced lumbar spondylosis with spinal stenosis was granted effective March 5, 2008.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU based on his service-connected back disorder was also granted effective September 16, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for a spine disability as secondary to bilateral pes planus and denied entitlement to TDIU.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, as it was not incurred or aggravated by active duty service and is not related to any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and right knee disabilities are not related to his period of service from January 5, 1998 through November 2, 2003. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during this time.