Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate and another examination is necessary to determine if the Veteran's current low back condition had onset in service or is otherwise related to his military service. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a new examination of the left knee disability and an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of the current disability ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder to his service-connected bunionectomies of the right and left feet, thus denying secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain with multiple level DDD and bilateral foraminal stenosis has been fully granted by the RO in a December 2012 rating decision, making this issue moot.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify the nature of his service in July 1997 and to obtain a clarifying addendum opinion from the May 2013 VA examiner regarding the meaning of 'similar episodes in the past'.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic right hip, left hip, or low back disorder during service or within one year thereafter. The Veteran's current diagnoses are not shown to be causally related to his in-service injury and the examiner determined that the continuity of symptoms is not credible.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability did not result from carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA. Therefore, compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a low back disability is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to December 17, 2007 was denied as she did not meet the schedular requirements and there was no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues including increased evaluations for various disabilities, reopening of service connection claims, and a TDIU claim. The case is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, an appropriate VA examination, and issuance of a statement of the case.

The Veteran does not have any service-connected disabilities for his right foot, left foot, right ankle, left ankle, right shoulder, left shoulder, or low back conditions. The VA examiners found no evidence of chronicity of these disorders prior to their current diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for thoracolumbar bone graft and instrumentation fusion T5 through L1, status-post surgical scar and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was granted. The current evaluation is 10 percent.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities were not related to service and the Board denied all claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for visual floaters and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and strain of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's low back disability is found to be at least as likely as not incurred during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability, diagnosed as lumbar spine advanced degenerative spondylosis with prominent scoliosis convex to the left (claimed as back problems), is a continuing disease process of symptomatology aggravated in service. As such, the criteria for entitlement to service connection have been met.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability and remanded it for further development. The case will be readjudicated after all necessary steps are taken.