Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination report, and additional development is required including obtaining VA treatment records and vocational rehabilitation file.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and degenerative arthritis and spondylolysis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that there was no increase in disability beyond normal progress due to pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spondylosis with strain is currently rated at 40 percent, effective November 22, 2008. His right knee strain, status post ACL reconstruction, remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a low back disability, bilateral hip disability, right knee disability, and right leg disability, all secondary to his service-connected right foot disability. The Board found that there was no evidence of direct service connection or aggravation by service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability during service and concluded that the Veteran's current condition is not related to her military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected penetrating gunshot wound residuals of the left lumbar region muscle group XX with lumbar degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his military service, including a service motor vehicle accident (MVA), and therefore denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was rated at 10 percent from May 27, 2007 to September 19, 2009. The right knee strain did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and service personnel records, as well as VA examinations for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a lumbar spine disability, and an eye disability. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disabilities, arthritis with stenosis and degenerative disc disease, are etiologically related to service. Service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, including arthritis of the lumbar spine, was incurred in service and granted service connection.

The Board found that there is no credible evidence of a low back disability in service or for many years after separation, and the Veteran's lay statements regarding chronic symptoms are not believed.,There is also no credible evidence linking any current left orchiectomy to service. The Veteran's lay statements about trauma during service are not credible.

The Veteran's spine disorder is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is rated separately.

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

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral foot, low back, or bilateral knee disabilities to service. The arthritis is not shown within one year of service and there is no competent medical evidence connecting these conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for the appellant's claimed low back, gastrointestinal, and respiratory disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease has been rated at 20 percent since June 20, 2005. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability based on the range of motion and symptoms reported.