Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine and neck disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, and arthritis was not shown within one year of separation. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are so severe as to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining employment, physical or sedentary, which could be considered substantially gainful versus just marginal in comparison when realizing his level of education, prior work experience and training.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development regarding his claims of increased disability ratings for lumbar spondylosis and a right foot disability.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is currently rated at 40 percent, but his claim for a higher rating has been denied.

The Board is remanding the Veteran's claims due to inadequate examinations and failure to provide adequate reasons and bases for its determinations regarding neurological conditions associated with his lower back condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease or arthritis, is service-connected. The claim for hypertension was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and examinations regarding his claims for service connection, as well as a VA examination for the severity of his coronary artery disease. The Veteran will be provided an opportunity to respond to this decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain medical records and ensure the Veteran's claims are properly adjudicated. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease with spondylolysis was incurred during active duty service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right greater trochanteric bursitis (right hip disorder) is pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a chronic lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, clarifying the location of his hospitalizations, and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar spondylolisthesis and spondylitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, a new examination, and issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's low back and left wrist disabilities, as well as scheduling a VA examination to determine their etiology. The issues of service connection are still pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the January 2011 VA examination and medical opinion is inadequate because it did not address the aggravation aspect of secondary service connection. The case is therefore being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected shrapnel wounds aggravated his lumbar spine arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of service in the Texas Army National Guard and an inadequate opinion from the April 2011 VA examiner. The Veteran's low back disability is related to active service or a period of ACDUTRA, but further development is needed.

The Veteran's low back disability was initially rated as non-compensable prior to April 16, 2012. Beginning September 18, 2014, the disability is rated at 10 percent based on limitation of motion.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), residuals of a skin condition of the left arm, or chronic fatigue syndrome that were incurred in service. The Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal seeks an earlier effective date for dependency benefits, but the Board finds that no such effective date is warranted based on the evidence of record.