Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is rated at 20 percent disabling, effective April 21, 2003.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board has ordered a new VA orthopedic examination to determine if any current back disorder is related to the Veteran's military service, or if it preexisted service and was aggravated therein. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disorder, right knee disorder, or cervical spine disorder that is service-connected. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury for any of these conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, which she contends is related to her active duty service and/or a service-connected left knee disability. The case must be remanded to obtain additional development including obtaining dates of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA for July 1992, obtaining SSA records, and providing an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension, degenerative arthritis in both knees, traumatic arthritis in the elbow, pes planus, chronic low back strain, and chronic sinusitis, contributed to his death from an overdose of propoxyphene. The Board finds that these conditions were directly related to the cause of death.

The Veteran's low back disability is manifested by chronic pain and limitation of motion, but there is no evidence of ankylosis or associated neurologic impairment. The claim for a higher rating than 40 percent has been denied.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorder and acquired psychiatric disability are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a low back disability that is causally related to his active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral muscle strain and associated radiculopathy have not met the criteria for higher disability evaluations.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease is not attributable to his period of military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities from June 9, 2008 were denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for his lumbar spine DDD and associated peripheral neuropathies of the lower extremities have been granted, with a rating of 20 percent effective from January 28, 2005.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a more current examination to determine the severity of her low back disability and the etiology of her lower extremity symptoms. The case will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board has determined that further examination is needed to evaluate the Veteran's current depression and lumbar spine symptoms, as well as his service connection for lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a more contemporaneous VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected thoracic and lumbar spine disability, as well as obtaining any recent medical records. The case will be considered from March 22, 2007 to the present.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected thoracolumbar spine, right hip, left hip, left knee, and right ankle disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 1, 2009 for payment of additional compensation for his current spouse. The decision was based on the fact that notice of his marriage to his current spouse was not received at the RO within one year of their marriage or prior to February 10, 2009.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbosacral disorder was not incurred or aggravated in service and denied his claim for service connection.