Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2013

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia and assigned a noncompensable rating. The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA spine examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's scoliosis and osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, and determining whether service connection should be granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and whether it is related to service. The cervical spine disability issue remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of reopening his pes planus and lumbosacral strain service connection claims, as well as his claim for heart disease. The left shoulder disability claim was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office for further development and re-adjudication in accordance with the directives of the September 2012 Joint Motion for Partial Remand (JMPR).

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran is not entitled to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected tension headaches.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since December 4, 2003.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis of the thoracolumbar spine, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss, PTSD, hemorrhoids, bilateral knee condition, headache disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. However, these claims have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between any current disabilities and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability did not manifest during or as a result of active military service and is not due to the permanent aggravation of a preexisting condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease have been manifested by painful motion with functional loss equating to no worse than limitation of flexion to 20 degrees. The criteria for a rating greater than 20 percent for these conditions have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death from multiple myeloma, which was not shown in service or within a presumptive period.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current low back disability or sciatic pain that was incurred in service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has been notified of the appellant's request to withdraw the appeal, and therefore, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran has effectively lost the use of both lower extremities due to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, which precludes him from using his legs without assistance. As a result, he is eligible for specially adapted housing but not for a special home adaptation grant.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for higher initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for lumbar intervertebral syndrome, status post surgery with residual scars, and a higher initial rating in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development of the evidence, including obtaining updated VA and private medical records, arranging for an orthopedic examination to assess his neck disability, low back disability, and left knee disability, and readjudicating the claims.