Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2012

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and a neurological disorder of the lower extremities, finding no probative evidence establishing a nexus between his current conditions and his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to lack of credible evidence supporting his assertions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to address the Veteran's claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disease and a low back disability. The Veteran's current skin disease is found to be related to his in-service symptoms, while the low back disability is not considered secondary to his service-connected knee and ankle disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for further development due to incomplete VA treatment records and issues regarding notification of evidence submission.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and SSA disability determination records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his VA treatment records and a current VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected low back strain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back injury is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for back disability and has determined that he is entitled to service connection for lumbar spine strain with arthritis. The Veteran testified during a hearing that he had continuous back pain since service, which was related to his in-service treatment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule VA examinations for his claimed conditions due to the failure of VA to schedule him during times he was available.

The Veteran's L5-S1 degenerative disc disease is currently rated at 10 percent, effective October 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, varicose veins, bilateral legs, heart condition, and bilateral eye disability. The Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions at the time of the decision.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development due to the submission of new evidence that has not been considered in the current rating decision.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the Veteran's lumbar strain with L4 to L5 discectomy and scar formation, effective from the date of the remand. The left knee disability remains at 20 percent, and TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intermittent nerve root irritation to the right lower extremity was rated at 10 percent prior to May 14, 2010. From May 14, 2010, his disability is rated at 20 percent.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, and grants service connection for this condition. The low back disability is not shown to be related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorder existed prior to his second period of active service and did not permanently increase in severity during or as a result of service. The claim for gout was also denied.

The Board found no evidence to support the appellant's claims of service connection for left quadriceps strain, tension headaches, neck disability, mid-back disability, and low back disability. The claims were denied as there was not a clear preponderance of the evidence supporting these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected status post fusion of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, and no higher. The claim for an increased rating remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an opinion from a VA physician regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current back disability and whether it is related to his military service.