Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, migraine headaches, and low back disorder have been denied as they are not supported by evidence showing an in-service occurrence or relationship to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum to the June 2013 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension (SMP) based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's conditions, including a psychiatric disability, heart disability, low back disability, residuals of head injury, and prostate disability, are considered direct service connection cases.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a back disorder in service and did not experience chronic symptoms of a back disorder since service. The current lumbar spine disorder is not etiologically related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disability is related to his injury in service, and grants service connection for a low back disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected degenerative disc disease T11-T12 through L1.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, finding that none of them warranted a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable rating for lumbar strain, and for ratings of hammertoes of the left and right feet have been dismissed. The appeal for service connection for a left elbow disorder has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including the provision of a new VA examination and consideration of all submitted evidence.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder. The Veteran's symptoms of degenerative joint disease (DJD) and degenerative disc disease (DDD) have been continuous since service separation, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for residuals of a burn to the left forearm has been withdrawn. The remaining issues on appeal will be addressed in the remand portion.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities did not manifest during active military service or within one year of separation, and concluded they were caused by psoriatic arthritis and associated degeneration rather than a back injury in service.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is found to have started in service following a motor vehicle accident, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed degenerative disc disease of the low back is related to his military service, granting the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and lumbar degenerative disc disease, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back conditions, including degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection.

The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses of meningitis or its residuals, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to errors in its December 2011 decision regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again with the RO.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability and back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current disabilities and his military service.