Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip and low back disabilities are not related to service or secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there is no competent and credible evidence linking his current low back disorder to any aspect of his period of service. The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's current low back disorder is proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected pes planus.

The Board found that the earlier RO decisions denying service connection for a low back disability were not appealed, and thus the October 2001 grant of service connection is considered final. The Veteran's appeal seeks an earlier effective date but cannot be granted as the prior denials are final.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not proximately due to or aggravated by her service-connected knee disabilities. The mental disorder issue remains unclear as it was not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, effective from April 26, 2008. The TDIU claim for the period prior to December 12, 2012, is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's objective neurological abnormalities, which are manifestations of his service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, do not meet criteria for separate compensable ratings due to minimal impairment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected back and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been granted an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is being remanded due to inadequate examination and incomplete medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back and neck disabilities in June 1997. The evidence received since then is not new and material, so the claims cannot be reopened.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his lumbosacral strain and associated sciatic nerve disabilities has been denied. His current disability ratings are appropriate based on the severity of his symptoms as evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of any additional medical records, including those from a neurosurgeon.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, including degenerative changes of the lumbar spine with numbness in both legs and feet with left foot drop, was denied as there is no credible evidence of an injury or disease during active service.

The Board found no evidence of a current low back disorder and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% disability rating for chronic sprain and strain of the lumbar spine with facet arthropathy of L4-L5 was denied as it is not legally possible to grant such an earlier effective date due to the finality of prior decisions. The effective date granted by the RO was September 30, 2002.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the inadequacies of a previous examination, including not discussing all disabilities and their impact on employment. The Veteran is required to provide information about any VA or private healthcare providers who have treated him since 2006.

The Veteran's low back disability, characterized as a lumbar strain, does not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent under VA's General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other mental disorder, as defined by the DSM-IV. Therefore, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, is denied.

The Veteran's lumbar strain disability was evaluated at a 20% rating from January 12, 2012 onwards. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of this.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is manifested by full range of motion, but with demonstrable painful motion. The Board finds that a compensable evaluation (10%) is warranted based on functional loss due to pain.