Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claimed knee, hip, and back disabilities are not service-connected. The Board finds that the Veteran's current knee, hip, and back conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is due to injuries sustained during his active service, and grants the claim of service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The claim remains denied.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and considering new evidence. The appeal will be returned to the RO for readjudication.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no credible continuity of symptomatology since service. The VA examinations provided opinions concluding that the current lower back disability is not related to service.

The Board denied service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disorders, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not originate in service or within one year thereafter.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney, and therefore the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent from April 18, 2005, to November 15, 2009, for chronic low back pain with radiculopathy. The effective date for service connection was also denied.

The Veteran's hemorrhoid disorder was found to have initial manifestations during service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The remaining issues on appeal will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA examination of the spine.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination for his head injury disability claim.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including verification of the Veteran's National Guard and Reserve service records and obtaining any outstanding treatment records. The issue of reopening a claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder, including obtaining medical opinions and verifying his periods of active duty training.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back and right elbow disabilities, which may be associated with service. A VA orthopedic examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a dose estimate for radiation exposure and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back condition. The claim for service connection for thyroid cancer will also be referred for consideration under specific regulations governing claims based on ionizing radiation exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is of service origin and grants service connection for this condition. The remaining issues are remanded for further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional private treatment records related to his lumbar disc disease and recovery from L4-S1 fusion. The claim will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for back, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The Board found that there was no evidence linking any current lumbar spine disability to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination regarding the relationship between the Veteran's low back disability and his service-connected bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA X-rays of the right hand and scheduling a VA examination to address his low back disability and right hand disability.