Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is granted for service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The issue of a rating in excess of 40 percent for lower lumbar muscle strain was withdrawn by the Veteran, and thus no further action is required.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and requests for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine and right knee disorders were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a higher disability evaluation.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain with intervertebral disc disease is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate given the evidence of record. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on incapacitating episodes or under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability has been shown to be manifested by no more than a 20 percent evaluation, and the Board finds that an increased initial evaluation is not warranted.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disability and granted it, finding that new and material evidence was received. The Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service accidents are considered along with VA medical records to support the reopening of the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disorder is pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of a low back disorder, finding that the new evidence submitted does not provide a link between his current condition and his in-service injury or treatment.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, finding that his disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not permanently aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Appellant's low back disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, including ACDUTRA. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an addendum opinion regarding a congenital defect of spondylolisthesis and its relationship to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability did not have its onset during active service, was not shown to be related to service, and is not etiologically related to active service. As a result, the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability has not manifested in loss of range of motion to the extent that forward flexion was less than 15 degrees or favorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine. Therefore, a rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case back to the RO for review of additional evidence submitted by the Veteran, including personnel records and a medical opinion response form.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain his service personnel records and a new opinion regarding whether he had a neurological disability of the left lower extremity within one year of discharge from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable due to their severity, as the VA Director of Compensation and Pension Service found that his disabilities did not preclude employment.

The Veteran's left ankle arthritis is rated at 20 percent, and his bilateral knee disorders are not service-connected. The lumbosacral spine disorder was also found to be directly related to the service-connected left ankle arthritis.

The Board has determined that the appeal is premature and remands for further action, including adjudication of the appellant's request to be substituted as the claimant.