Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a service connection for the Veteran's back disorder, and any current symptoms are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a chest injury, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability was granted. The rating assigned is 0% (noncompensable) for each condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hip and shoulder conditions, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected knee disabilities. The Board also found that the Veteran's current back condition is not service connected.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, as well as degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, have been granted.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, including scoliosis, degenerative disc disease of the back (back disability), right leg condition, left thigh disability, and bilateral knee disability, as they were not shown to be directly related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran sustained an injury to his back as a result of an in-service jeep accident, and has current degenerative disc disease. The lung or respiratory disability is not established. Service connection for the lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and arranging a new examination to assess the severity of his lumbar spine disability. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied as there was no factual entitlement to the benefit prior to January 26, 2006.

The appeal is being remanded due to incomplete records, and further development under the duty to assist is needed.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease, which was granted with a May 3, 2007 effective date. The case has been remanded due to claims of CUE in previous decisions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability and remanded it for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current chronic left foot disorder, low back degenerative arthritis, and right hip degenerative arthritis with sciatic neuropathy are not related to his period of service. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal on the issues of service connection for right rotator cuff tendinopathy, cervical spine osteoarthritis, thoracolumbar spine osteoarthritis, and left and right leg cramps.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's low back disability other than chronic lumbosacral strain was incurred in or aggravated by active service or by a service-connected disability. As such, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for lumbar myositis, cervical myositis, and right hip trochanteric bursitis were denied. The maximum assigned rating of 20% was granted for the service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee and back disorders are not related to his service-connected left foot plantar keratosis, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for C5-6 posttraumatic cervical spondylosis and degenerative disc disease was denied, as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. His claim for service connection for a low back condition was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for schizoaffective disorder and an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected joint pain due to undiagnosed illness is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent.,Service connection for degenerative disease of the lumbosacral spine and bilateral knee disabilities are granted as secondary to his service-connected joint pain.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD but denied the initial disability rating for Mechanical Low Back Strain.