Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a back condition, including obtaining additional medical opinions and evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's varicose veins, low back disability, and bilateral ankle disability are not related to his active duty service or caused by or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disability. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as a chronic lumbar strain with bilateral neural foraminal narrowing, is related to his service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder, right knee, and back disabilities are not service-connected.,The VA examiner found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings for right toe disability and low back disability have been granted. The Veteran is now entitled to a 30 percent rating for his right toe disability effective December 5, 2014.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service or any service-connected condition, and denied the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed low back disability did not have its onset during service, was not manifested within one year of separation, and is not otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disability, characterized as lumbosacral strain, was at least as likely as not incurred in service and granted service connection for a back disability.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, DDD of the thoracic spine, sinusitis, and varicose veins are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a hematoma of the abdominal wound, atopic dermatitis, right hip disability, right ankle disability, spastic colon, tinea pedis, and hemorrhagic gastritis. The new evidence received since the last final denial is sufficient to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing VA records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have first manifested during active military service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder and granted it, finding that his current condition is secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine and left and right knee disabilities are service-connected as they were aggravated by her military service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for back and left knee disabilities. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional medical records, arrange for a VA examination, and then review the claims with consideration of all applicable laws and regulations.

The Board has dismissed the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for a back disability with scoliosis due to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's brady-tachycardia syndrome, status post pacemaker, is being remanded for further examination.

The Board has reopened the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability and low back pain, finding that new and material evidence has been received. The claim is now considered on its merits.