Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated clinical records and arranging for medical examinations to determine the nature and likely etiology of his low back disability and psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing due to the representation issue.

The Board denied service connection for a vocal cord disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and low back disability. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left hip, right hip, and low back disabilities as well as entitlement to increases in the staged ratings assigned for a postoperative right ankle disability. The effective dates for these awards are being handled separately.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and left knee disabilities have been reopened, and tinnitus has been granted.,Service connection is not established for the Veteran's low back or left knee disabilities as they are not related to active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as L5-S1 Degenerative Disc Disease, did not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back condition as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The congenital nature of the Veteran's back condition was considered, and it was determined that it did not result from or be aggravated by his service-connected knees.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, effective March 31, 2010. He also has a separate rating of 10 percent for right lumbar radiculopathy.,Regarding the right hip disability, the Board finds that further examination and medical opinion are needed to determine if it is related to service or proximately due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted. The appeals for the other issues are withdrawn.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability in service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. For hearing loss, the Board noted that there was no in-service noise exposure documented and concluded that the current hearing loss is not related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's military service is at least as likely as not related to his condition. The appeal regarding a back disorder was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to the decision.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA vocational rehabilitation file and referring the case to the Under Secretary for Benefits or Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disorder, thoracic and lumbar spine disorders, and left knee osteoarthritis, status post left knee replacement. The Veteran's claims are now ready for further action.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine and left ankle disabilities were not incurred in service, as there was no chronic symptoms related to these conditions during or after service. The current diagnoses are not linked to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his back disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination and consideration of newly reported symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims on a direct basis.

The Board found that the Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine with mechanical low back pain and radiculopathy is not related to his service-connected right ankle disability, thus denying service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also addressed and submitted for extraschedular consideration.