Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has decided that further development is necessary before the claim for service connection for a back condition can be adjudicated.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, as new and material evidence has been submitted. Service connection is granted for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current neck, upper back, and low back disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA records and scheduling examinations to address the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, while his low back disability and sleep disorder do not have a direct link to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right hip and lumbar spine disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by his service, nor are they proximately due to or the result of any disease or injury in service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent after May 15, 2009. He also has separate ratings for incomplete sciatic nerve paralysis of the right and left lower legs, as well as urinary frequency.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spondylolisthesis with fusion of L5-SI and neurological deficit of the right lower extremity.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and associated radiculopathy are currently rated at 10 percent, with no higher rating granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinea pedis and cruris, as well as lumbosacral strain, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA disability rating schedule.

The Board found that there was no pending claim for a TDIU prior to April 13, 2000 and denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date.

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

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his right knee disability does not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The Board also found no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are being remanded due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient competent evidence of record regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder. The Veteran is required to provide a VA examination to determine if his current lumbar spine disorder is related to service, including an injury sustained in service.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle disorder (tendinitis) is service-connected, with the Board finding that his current diagnosis of tendinitis originated during military service.,Service connection for a low back disorder was not established. The Board found no evidence linking the current degenerative changes in the lumbar spine to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling him for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected spine disabilities.