Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted effective dates of June 29, 2010 for the grant of service connection for low back strain and left knee strain.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates have been denied. The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding a higher rating for internal derangement of the left knee, as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the issuance of a decision.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnosed low back disability is not etiologically related to his military service and therefore, denies his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are shown as likely as not to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his work and education background, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his right shoulder and lumbar spine conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder, including spondylolisthesis and osteoarthritis with associated pain, was not incurred in or aggravated by his service. The claim is denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is proximately due to his service-connected right knee disability and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claimed conditions are not service-connected, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the criteria for these benefits had not been met throughout the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequately explained rationales in previous decisions and incomplete development of certain issues, including service connection for low back injury, PTSD, and loss of peripheral vision.

The Veteran's neurological disabilities of the bilateral lower extremities secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine are manifested by mild incomplete paralysis, warranting a 10 percent rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and bilateral leg condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability was not manifest in service and is unrelated to service. The left shoulder rotator cuff injury is also not related to service or a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's sinusitis does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 6513.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 10 percent, and his right hip disability claim was granted. The service connection for flat feet remains pending.

The Board found that the current low back disability with sciatic pain was not incurred or aggravated as a result of service, and therefore denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected back disability. Additionally, an opinion regarding whether he is unemployable due to his service-connected disability will be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of his hearing loss in the right ear and low back disorder.