Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions did not have onset during active service or within one year of discharge, and are not otherwise etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records. The issue of entitlement to TDIU will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective July 28, 2010. The evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the character of the Veteran's discharge from service is not a bar to receiving VA benefits, and thus he qualifies as a 'veteran' for purposes of VA benefits.

The Veteran's headaches are caused by his hypertension and service connection for this condition is granted. The remaining issues of service connection for thyroid disorder, left eye disability, and back disability are not addressed in the decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death, and that the medication he was taking for these conditions did not play a significant role in causing his kidney failure.

The Veteran's low back disability is not service-connected as it was not shown to be related to his military service or any event therein.,There is no evidence of a right lower extremity disability during the appeal period.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ankle strain, degenerative joint disease with meniscal tear of the right knee, right hip strain, and facet arthrosis at L5-S1 of the lumbar spine are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right foot plantar wart/callus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed low back, cervical spine, and left knee disabilities are not related to service. The evidence does not show chronic or continuous symptoms of these conditions during active duty or within one year after separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her scoliosis of the lumbosacral spine, right hip strain, left hip strain, and left knee strain. The evidence did not show that any of these conditions warranted a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background, meeting the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA orthopedic examination to determine the nature and etiology of any low back disability. The examiner should address whether the Veteran's current low back disability is related to service or caused by his service-connected pilonidal cyst.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise the result of service, and arthritis of the lumbar spine was not manifested within one year thereafter. As a result, the claim for service connection for a low back disability has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and personnel files. The claims for service connection will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his lumbar degenerative disc disease was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show forward flexion limited to 60 degrees or less, and the combined range of motion was sufficient to deny a 20% rating.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disability and granted it. The Veteran's tinnitus is also found to be related to his military service, and he was granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD and depression) as secondary to his service-connected pulmonary sarcoidosis.,Service connection for these conditions has been established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his active service or a service-connected condition, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, and the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, and bilateral knee disorders are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.