Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to inadequate medical examination in March 2012, which did not consider a prior diagnosis of IVDS.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied by the Board, as her disability is currently rated at 20 percent and no higher.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is likely attributable to his active military service and grants service connection for this condition. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability, bilateral shoulder disability, ulcers, and erectile dysfunction are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine degenerative joint disease and paravertebral muscle spasms is being remanded due to the need for additional VA compensation examinations and the provision of relevant medical records.

The Veteran's appeal involves increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and left thigh GSW residuals, as well as a claim for TDIU. The Board finds that further development is necessary to ensure all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left ankle sprain is denied as there is no post-service diagnosis of a left ankle disorder. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a current disability resulting from an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing before her local RO.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a breathing disability and for a rating in excess of 10 percent for her L4-L5 spondylolisthesis. The Veteran's claim for cervical spine disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and inadequate nexus opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed right knee and low back disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluation of his low back disability was denied. The RO had previously granted service connection and assigned a noncompensable evaluation, which was later increased to 10 percent in December 2009 and to 20 percent effective October 24, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral degenerative disc disease and facet hypertrophy are currently rated at 10 percent, effective December 21, 2009. The RO has not granted a higher initial evaluation for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine is being remanded due to inadequate development and need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine condition is rated at the lowest possible level (10%) due to essentially normal motion and no incapacitating episodes. The other conditions are not rated higher than their current levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine disabilities are not service-connected as they are not shown to be related to her military service.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral tri-level disc derangement is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition. The Veteran's neurological manifestations of the lumbar spine disability are separately evaluated and his chronic rhinitis is assigned a non-compensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's neurological symptoms are not associated with his service-connected low back disorder and thus denied separate compensable ratings for these conditions.

The case is being remanded for additional development to address the Veteran's claims of service connection and increased ratings for his spine disabilities, including chronic headaches.