Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing VA examinations and unobtained SSA records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability has been reopened and granted. The RO also increased the rating for left foot drop.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40% due to severe forward flexion limited to 35 degrees with pain and objective evidence of pain, without ankylosis. The left great toe disability has been rated as moderate foot injury throughout the rating period.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has granted service connection for hematuria and a left ankle disability, finding that the current disabilities are related to service. The low back disability claim is remanded as an adequate opinion was not provided.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA spine examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, low back disability, and skin disability were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and SSA records, conducting examinations, and reviewing the medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment for which the Veteran's education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development as the evidence of record does not contain sufficient competent medical evidence to decide the claims, and more recent VA medical records suggest that his disorders may have worsened since a previous examination.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent for orthopedic manifestations and a separate 10 percent rating is granted for radiculopathy of each lower extremity as neurological manifestations. The current effective date is not specified.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, and radiculopathy disabilities are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disorder and a lumbar spine disorder, finding that the disorders were not caused or aggravated by service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, left ear hearing loss disability, and left knee disability. The claim for an increased rating for bipolar disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical strain and IVDS with degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine have been denied. The criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or chronic thoracolumbar spine disability for VA purposes, and thus denied service connection for these conditions. The Board also determined there was insufficient evidence to link any current back condition to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, neck, bilateral arm and shoulder disorders are related to his service in Vietnam and Agent Orange exposure. The neurological disorders of both lower extremities, bilateral leg, knee, hip, and upper extremities are also found to be secondary to these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating and service connection was granted, with a separate rating of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The claims for migraines, respiratory condition, psychiatric disorder, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder condition are pending further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease as secondary to her service-connected bilateral pes planus, right knee arthritis, and left knee DJD. The remaining issues of increased ratings and TDIU are pending.