Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and arranging for a VA examination of his thoracic spine.

The Veteran does not have a current right hip disability, and the evidence does not establish service connection for any of his other claimed conditions. The Board finds that there is no basis to grant service connection.

The Veteran's low back disability has been manifested by pain and limited range of motion, but does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and respiratory disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within one year after separation. The VA examiner opined that the current low back disability is less likely than not related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder), finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection due to inadequate reasons and bases, as well as internal inconsistencies in the March 2013 VA examination. The Veteran's right knee, bilateral hip, and lumbar spine disabilities are being evaluated with respect to their secondary nature.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the unavailability of his service treatment records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his current lumbar spine disability is related to service, including in-service back strain. The VA examiners concluded there was insufficient evidence linking the current condition to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance since April 4, 2006. The effective date for SMC based on this need is set at April 4, 2006.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new VA opinion regarding the Veteran's back disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's lumbar spine, bilateral leg, right knee, and bilateral shoulder disorders are not related to his active military service.,There is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for various service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of the requested increased evaluations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine osteoarthritis was found to meet the criteria for a 20 percent rating from February 15, 2006 to March 11, 2012.

The Board finds that the Veteran did not have a chronic low back disorder in service, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms after service. The current low back disability was not caused or aggravated by the service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee and low back disabilities did not manifest within one year of service, and thus could not be presumed to have been caused by service. The Board also determined that there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology for these conditions. As such, the Veteran failed to meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current neck and back disabilities did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The VA examinations provided more probative opinions than the Veteran's statements and those of Drs. B.F., W.D., and L.T.

The Board found that there is no direct evidence linking the Veteran's low back disorder to his service or any incident therein. The Board also determined that the low back disorder was not caused by, or aggravated by, his service-connected cervical spine disability. As a result, the claim for service connection for a low back disorder secondary to a service-connected cervical spine disability is denied.

The Veteran's degenerative spondylosis of the lumbosacral spine with DDD at L5-S1 has been manifested by forward flexion greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees, resulting in a rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity was granted a rating of 40 percent effective September 29, 2010. The maximum schedular rating for this disability is 40 percent.