Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran's back injury during service, including searching unit and organizational histories for November 1971. The case will be returned to the RO for further review after this development is completed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain medical records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination for his low back disorder, right eye disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board found no evidence of a current low back disability that had its onset in service or is related to military service, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining addendum opinions from VA examiners and obtaining records from the Social Security Administration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed lumbar spine arthritis and osteopenia are proximately due to his service-connected knee and hip disabilities, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by her authorized representative, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of right shoulder, neck, and back injuries as they are not linked to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with spondylolisthesis and chronic sinusitis, render him incapable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is related to his active duty service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected conditions is 50%, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent prior to December 1, 2009 and remains at that rating thereafter. The Veteran also has a separate 40 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy from September 8, 2009 onwards. TDIU criteria are met.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and hypertension, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service injury. The rating assigned is 0%.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities, including any associated neurological residuals. The case is therefore REMANDED for these purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, tinnitus, heart disease, PTSD, arthritis, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and back disorder. The appeals were based on direct evidence of a link between each condition and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA examinations and additional medical records. The issues of increased disability ratings for low back strain, cervical strain, and corneal scars are on hold until these matters are addressed.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure of the Veteran to appear for his scheduled Travel Board hearing. The claims are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine if the Veteran's right knee and low back disorders are secondary or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disorder. The case will be remanded for additional clarification from Dr. M.N.D.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain has been granted a higher rating, and he is now receiving a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of residuals of a left shoulder injury and lumbosacral spine disorder, finding no evidence to support these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active duty.

The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.