Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection of a low back disorder due to new and material evidence. However, further development is needed as the merits of the claim cannot be addressed without additional medical examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated private medical records and scheduling a VA examination for his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding that his lumbar spine disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, and denying separate ratings for radiculopathy. The left ankle sprain was also found to have moderate limitation of motion.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not shown to be related to service or a service-connected condition, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability has been rated at 40 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus denied his claim for TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disease or undiagnosed illness during his service and that any current symptoms are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his back disability prevented him from initiating or completing a program of education. The case will be readjudicated based on whether he is entitled to an extension of the delimiting date for his Chapter 30 (MGIB) education benefits due to disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as there was no evidence of ankylosis, malunion, or astragalectomy. The right knee and left ankle disabilities are rated based on limitation of motion.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left hip/thigh disability was not manifested in service or within one year of discharge, and did not find a causal relationship between his service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine and his claimed left hip/thigh disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA spine examination and obtaining SSA records.

The Board found that the Veteran's left hip and lumbar spine disabilities are not related to service or a service-connected disability, thus denying service connection for these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied as his sole service-connected right hip disability does not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened and granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.,Service connection is established for a lumbar spine disability due to an in-service injury. The Board finds that the current degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is more likely than not directly related to the December 1992 slip and fall during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that the Veteran's current back disability is related to his in-service injury. The appeal of service connection for a back disability is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a back disorder, which includes Scheuermann's disease. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of her current back disorders and whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine, right knee, and right ankle disabilities. These conditions are considered to be directly related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim of a reduction in her rating for herniated L5-S1 lumbar disc status post discectomy and anterior spinal fusion with plate and two screws from 40 percent to 20 percent as of January 1, 2010 is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been denied as the current single 10 percent rating assigned to tinnitus, mechanical lumbar syndrome with recurrent lumbar strain, and sciatica are the maximum schedular evaluations permitted under VA rating criteria.