Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability was reopened, and the Board granted service connection. The Veteran also received an increased rating of 20% for his lumbar spine disability with separate ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain was denied, and the current disability rating of 40 percent remains unchanged. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for low back arthritis, finding that the Veteran sustained an in-service injury and has continuous symptomatology since then.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection of a low back disorder. The original denial is being remanded due to incomplete records, including those from hospitalization in Germany.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability had improved, warranting a reduction from a 40 percent rating to a 20 percent rating. The evidence showed less forward flexion and other functional limitations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability and remanded his claims of increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and dorsal spine compression fractures. The case is now being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed with the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a spine examination. The case will be re-adjudicated after the development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnoses of DJD, DDD, and spinal stenosis of the cervical spine are not related to service. The symptoms were not chronic in service and have not been continuous since service separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection. The left ear hearing loss and tinnitus claims are addressed in a separate remand.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder and bilateral knee disorders, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service injuries. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee and hip disabilities, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disorders have been evaluated as 10 percent disabling since February 25, 1994. The claims for higher evaluations are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development and adjudicative action due to inadequate or incomplete opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service or his service-connected bilateral iliotibial band syndrome, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran seeks service connection for degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, to include as secondary to her service-connected muscle strain of the low back. The Board has remanded the case for a VA opinion addressing whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by her service-connected muscle strain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no chronic disability at service separation and no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The Board also noted that the current disability is not related to any in-service injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation on the basis of individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disability, finding that his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause resulted in the denial of his claim.