Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and neck disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence linking the Veteran's current back disorder or residuals of a head injury to his military service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and post-operative residuals of left femur fracture with shortening of the left leg and left knee arthritis have been granted increased ratings.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are not service-connected, as they were not present in service or within one year of separation. The Board denied the claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic lumbosacral spine disorder, chronic headache disorder, and chronic sleep disorder. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent medical evidence linking her current conditions to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not service connected, as it was not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service. The Board also found no evidence of a direct connection to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disability is related to service and granted service connection. The right knee disability was also granted a non-compensable evaluation initially, but later increased to 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, memory loss, lumbar spine disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability related to active military service.

The Board has denied service connection for acquired heart disease, COPD, neck disability, back disability, and psychiatric disability to include depression. The appellant is seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and a bilateral knee disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for a low back condition and denying service connection for a bilateral knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability, lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative joint disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The current condition is unrelated to an injury or event during service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding the cause of his back disability and whether VA negligence was involved.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or related to his service-connected disabilities, including polio and degenerative disc disease. The Board found insufficient evidence to support the claim that post-polio syndrome contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no evidence of a right hand disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or gastrointestinal disability due to service. Service connection was also not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions as they are not shown to be related to his active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disorders. The effective date of this decision is not specified, but it is presumed to be from the date of receipt of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorder, an appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and likely etiology of a back disability, and consideration of the June 2010 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral temporomandibular disorder bruxism, lumbar scoliosis degenerative disc disease L4-5 and facet arthropathy L5-S1, and degenerative joint disease right ankle are not rated higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability and granted service connection based on direct evidence of a current disability and continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen her previously denied service connection claims for thyroid disorder and hypertension. The Veteran is also entitled to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right foot disorder, eye disorder, back disorder, gynecological disorder, abdominal disorder, and shin splints.