Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disorders were not incurred or aggravated in service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred due to his military service. The VA examiner attributed these conditions to natural progression of age rather than service connection.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the Veteran's service connection claims for a back disorder and urinary disorder, including obtaining records from his Air Force Reserve service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a cervical spine disability, low back disability, or an acquired psychiatric disability due to disease or injury incurred in service. The evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinions to clarify any current psychiatric, back or lower leg disability that may be related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine disability are found to be related to service. The left foot disorder is not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and treatment records review, requiring further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tooth loss, bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right shoulder disability, and traumatic brain disease. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen previously denied claims for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disorder as a residual of an injury, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and lung disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA disability determination records and considering extra-schedular evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need to obtain medical records from the USPHS and National Archives.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left hip disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The initial increased ratings for arthralgia of the left shoulder and left arm (elbow) are also granted.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and found that the Veteran's left hand disorder, which is already service-connected, precludes him from engaging in any type of non-marginal employment activity.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling an examination by a specialist in orthopedics and an examiner familiar with somatoform pain disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability prevents him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability warrants a rating of 20 percent, effective from when his claim was filed in June 2003.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected tension headaches and low back disability have been denied. The evidence does not show very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks of severe economic inadaptability for the tension headaches, nor does it indicate incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least two weeks but less than four weeks during the past 12 months for the low back disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the old Diagnostic Code 5292. The issue regarding post-traumatic arthritis of the right knee prior to October 26, 2004, is pending.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current degenerative disease of the lumbar spine is not causally related to a disease, injury or event in service.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and an increased rating for right trochanteric bursitis. The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with disc herniations is considered to be the result of his active military service, while his current right trochanteric bursitis is rated at 10 percent.