Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder on a direct basis and for right and left knee disorders. The evidence does not support granting these claims.

The Veteran's protruding disc of the lumbar spine, status-post discectomy, has been rated at 10 percent since June 18, 2008. The claim for an increased rating remains denied.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disorder had its onset in service or was related to his in-service injury, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining a new VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine conditions are related to service-connected muscle strain of the low back.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right total knee replacement, and therefore grants service connection for a low back disorder.

The Board has ordered a remand to review the medical records and obtain an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to service, specifically considering his congenital sacralization of the 5th lumbar vertebrae.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA spine examination of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and providing medical nexus opinions. The cervical spine issue remains before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's lumbar strain has been rated at 10 percent since January 31, 2006. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s range of motion was limited to 70 degrees for forward flexion and 25 degrees for extension.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his claim of entitlement to service connection for ventral and umbilical hernias. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities have been denied. The RO has assigned a 10% rating for each of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for a lumbosacral strain was granted, and the effective date for service connection was set at September 26, 2006. The earlier effective date request for prior to September 26, 2000, for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain was also granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his low back disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, and thus a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's request to reopen his service connection claim for action tremor (claimed as neurological condition causing uncontrollable shaking) has been granted.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development due to the potential change in his condition since his last VA examination, as well as the submission of new evidence regarding GERD.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is service-connected.,Service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease, status post myocardial infarction and bypass surgery, as secondary to degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, was denied.,Service connection for hypertension, as secondary to degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, is granted.,Service connection for renal dysfunction, as secondary to degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for lateral epicondylitis of the right elbow has been withdrawn. The remaining claims for increased ratings for cervical spine, left knee, and diabetes mellitus are addressed.

The Veteran's hyperparathyroidism rating was restored from noncompensable to 60 percent effective August 1, 2011. The claim for PTSD was reopened due to new evidence received since the last denial in October 2007. Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disorder were not established, while service connection for a back disorder was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of his claim for an increased evaluation for a low back disability.