Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of chronic lumbosacral strain is related to his in-service stressor. The issue of an increased evaluation for chronic lumbosacral strain remains pending, as does the need for statements of the case on secondary service connection issues.

The Veteran's claims for TBI residuals and low back disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing new VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues on appeal include increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claims for service connection for right knee and back disorders, but these issues are being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of his claims, including for evaluations of his lumbar strain, left knee chondromalacia, and right knee chondromalacia.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorders are found to be related to her military service, and the Board grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed right elbow, right knee, or bilateral foot disability.,The Veteran's current thoracolumbar spine disability is not service-connected as it is more likely age-related than related to service.

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

The Board is remanding the case to schedule a hearing for the Veteran, as he requested due to transportation and weather issues.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left ankle and lumbar spine conditions have been withdrawn. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for recurrent tinnitus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle condition is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for her chronic low back strain with lumbar degenerative disc disease was granted, and she is now receiving a 20 percent disability rating effective from August 16, 2005. Additionally, separate ratings of 20 percent each were assigned for the neurological impairment in both lower extremities.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for clarification of additional range of motion loss due to flare-ups, pain, and incoordination. The case will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of a prostate disorder, chronic head or neck disorders, or chronic shoulder and knee disorders related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease is currently evaluated at 40 percent, and the Board denied an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current disability is not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the need for additional medical records. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral hip disability are currently under review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back condition is causally related to his service-connected residuals of a right left fracture, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine and bilateral knee disability are being considered as secondary to his service-connected right ankle instability. The examiner will determine if these conditions have worsened due to the right ankle disorder.,The Veteran's residuals from a head injury are being evaluated, but no specific service connection theory is provided.