Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and service personnel records, as well as VA examinations for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a lumbar spine disability, and an eye disability. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disabilities, arthritis with stenosis and degenerative disc disease, are etiologically related to service. Service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, including arthritis of the lumbar spine, was incurred in service and granted service connection.

The Board found that there is no credible evidence of a low back disability in service or for many years after separation, and the Veteran's lay statements regarding chronic symptoms are not believed.,There is also no credible evidence linking any current left orchiectomy to service. The Veteran's lay statements about trauma during service are not credible.

The Veteran's spine disorder is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is rated separately.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not causally related to her service, and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral foot, low back, or bilateral knee disabilities to service. The arthritis is not shown within one year of service and there is no competent medical evidence connecting these conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for the appellant's claimed low back, gastrointestinal, and respiratory disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease has been rated at 20 percent since June 20, 2005. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability based on the range of motion and symptoms reported.

The Board found that the Veteran's current thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities are not related to service, including his alleged exposure in an armored tank. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions were more likely due to a long-term history of manual labor jobs, multiple injuries, and age-related degeneration.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability did not have its clinical onset in service and was not otherwise related to active duty. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a low back disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability and a right knee disability due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck, left shoulder, low back, and right knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,The VA examiner provided rationale for each condition, concluding that there was no link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 1, 1999, to February 2000.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis of type II diabetes and it did not manifest within one year after service separation. There is also no evidence linking the condition to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing an adequate examination for each issue on appeal.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability and whether it began during service or is related to any incident of service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder and assigned an initial rating of 10 percent effective April 17, 2003. The Appellant is seeking a higher initial rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to address whether the Veteran's scoliosis is congenital or functional in nature, and to determine if any current low back disability is related to service.