Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's current back disability is related to his active duty service and the Board has granted service connection for segment dysfunction and degenerative changes of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered together, render her unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a back disability. The Board finds that no earlier effective date is warranted as the claim was not pending prior to April 21, 2006.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule him for a video conference hearing in Washington D.C.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the highest schedular rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board also found service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities associated with his lumbar spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and articular chondrocalcinosis of the knees are not related to his service, including his parachute jumps. The evidence does not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and his in-service injuries.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and a VA examination to address the claim for service connection for low back disorder as secondary to service-connected perirectal abscesses.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability has been denied as there is no current evidence of such a condition.

The Veteran's joint aches, osteoarthritis of the cervical and lumbar spine, degenerative changes of the right shoulder, and polyarthralgias were not incurred or aggravated in service. The Board found insufficient clinical, laboratory, or radiographic evidence to support these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability and TDIU.

The VA examiner found no direct link between the Veteran's current low back disability and his service, concluding that it is more likely due to multiple surgeries over time rather than an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, to include degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to incomplete development and need for an addendum opinion regarding his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for left hip disorder and low back disability, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disorder.,The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between the current hip and back conditions and active duty or service-connected bilateral knee disorder.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for low back strain from 10% to 20%, effective January 19, 2007. The reduction was not proper as improvement in the condition had not been shown.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for hearings as requested. The claims will be returned to the Board after these hearings are conducted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. A VA examination will be scheduled to assess the severity of his low back disability. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual employability resulting from service-connected disability (TDIU) will also be addressed.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, as well as his sleep apnea. The claims are inextricably intertwined due to the potential impact on the outcome of the sleep apnea claim.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was initially rated at 10 percent since July 31, 2002. The rating has been maintained due to the lack of evidence showing more than slight limitation of motion.