Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2013

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disability is at least as likely as not a result of his active service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and for a VA examination. The issues of increased rating for his service-connected lumbar strain with spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, and intervertebral disc syndrome, as well as TDIU due to service-connected disability are also being addressed.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, as well as his current bilateral hearing loss. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a more current VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and right shoulder disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current assigned ratings.

The Board found that the Veteran's back and neck disorders did not have their clinical onset during service, arthritis of the lumbar spine was not diagnosed within the first post-service year, and a back or neck disability is not otherwise related to active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's service connection claims are now before the Board again.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if his IBS is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, and for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his thoracic and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorder is not related to her active duty service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and osteochondritis of the left fifth metacarpal with Dupuytren's Contracture were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under VA rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's claim to reopen for a low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, migraine headaches, and low back disorder have been denied as they are not supported by evidence showing an in-service occurrence or relationship to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum to the June 2013 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension (SMP) based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's conditions, including a psychiatric disability, heart disability, low back disability, residuals of head injury, and prostate disability, are considered direct service connection cases.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a back disorder in service and did not experience chronic symptoms of a back disorder since service. The current lumbar spine disorder is not etiologically related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disability is related to his injury in service, and grants service connection for a low back disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected degenerative disc disease T11-T12 through L1.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, finding that none of them warranted a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable rating for lumbar strain, and for ratings of hammertoes of the left and right feet have been dismissed. The appeal for service connection for a left elbow disorder has also been dismissed.