Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee and low back disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of their onset during or within one year after service. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions are not related to his service-connected left knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with rotary levoscoliosis is related to his military service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and service treatment records, as well as a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disability is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a spine examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar strain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his active service and have granted service connection for them.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar disc disease with spondylosis is likely due to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disorder was not present during his period of active service or until many years thereafter, and is not related to service or an incident of active duty service origin.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective February 2000. The claim for headaches and hemorrhoids was denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of left hip disability, back disability, left shoulder disability, right eye blindness, and basal cell carcinoma, right cheek including secondary to inservice exposure to herbicides.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between the injury in service and the present condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current back disability, including diagnosed cervical and lumbar spine discogenic disease and arthritis, is not related to service.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability was initially rated as 10 percent disabling and has been increased to 20 percent since April 25, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of L5-S1, allergic rhinitis with angioedema, and folliculitis of the lower legs with bilateral tinea pedis were denied as there is no evidence of incapacitating episodes or ankylosis. The current disability ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was granted in September 2008, with a 20 percent disability rating effective March 2008. The RO increased his disability rating to 40 percent in March 2011.,The Veteran's appeal related to an initial evaluation for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine prior to March 8, 2011, and subsequent evaluations from March 8, 2011, to June 1, 2011, and from January 1, 2012. The appeal was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's back and neck disorders were incurred in or aggravated by her active service from September 2004 to October 2005.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee, back, and allergic disabilities. These conditions are considered secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no chronic in-service back disability and no current disability related to service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain is currently rated at 20 percent, effective September 27, 2010. The rating criteria have been met for this level of disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy of the cervical and lumbar spine, as well as a respiratory disorder. The Veteran's claim is being reviewed again due to new evidence submitted since previous denials.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet, as determined by a VA examination. The case is REMANDED for further development.