Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2012

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorder did not result from service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disorders are not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, chronic musculotendon tightness in the low back and right groin, a right ankle disability, a left ankle disability, and hallux limitus of the left foot have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Veteran has not provided evidence that his current disabilities are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a hearing scheduling issue, and no notification of the September 2009 hearing date was provided.

The Veteran's left distal ulna fracture is characterized by mild deformity, painful motion, and slightly diminished grip strength. The Board granted a 10 percent rating for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected back disability. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 40 percent effective from August 27, 2007, and the Board found that this rating is warranted throughout the period of his claim prior to September 11, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and providing VCAA notice.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his low back disability. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated as part of the increased rating claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability had its clinical onset during his period of active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's low back disability is being remanded for further examination and development to determine if it is related to his service-connected bilateral foot disabilities or due to normal wear and tear.

The Board has determined that there is new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection of a back disorder. The Veteran's back disorder either incepted during service or was aggravated by an injury sustained during training, making it related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there was no evidence of chronic symptoms or injury during service. The disabilities were also not shown to be caused by a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine does not result in forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine of 30 degrees or less, and he does not have incapacitating episodes with bed rest prescribed by a physician that total at least four weeks in a twelve-month period. His radiculopathy is primarily manifested by complaints of radiating pain and numbness.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service and are not causally related to his service-connected disability. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination and consideration of the evidence in light of revised rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed back, right hip replacement, left leg and right leg disorders are not related to his service-connected left elbow disorder. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verifying service dates and obtaining medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current low back disability. The case will be remanded and re-adjudicated after obtaining the requested information.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and searching for in-service hospital records under the name Naval Medical Center San Diego. The Veteran's low back disability is being evaluated to determine if it had its onset during service or was caused by any incident noted in service.