Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's current back disability is not related to a disease or injury in service and therefore, denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the claims are no longer under consideration.

The veteran's service-connected diffuse degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis at L4-5 renders him unable to care for his daily needs without the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of special monthly compensation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back disorder is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's left hip fracture is rated at 40 percent, her low back disability at 20 percent, and her left knee arthralgia at 60 percent. The combined rating for the left knee disability does not exceed 60 percent, which is the maximum allowed.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition and a low back condition as secondary to a service-connected ankle disability, finding no evidence of a current diagnosis or a nexus between the conditions and any in-service injury or disease.

The veteran's combined service-connected rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the requirement for a TDIU based on her service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran does not have current right shoulder, ankle, back, or vasectomy-related disabilities that are service-connected. The VA examinations did not reveal any chronic conditions related to military service.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with healed compression fractures at D12, L1 and L2 was denied. The RO initially granted a 10 percent rating in February 1979, which has been adjusted to 20 percent effective December 2, 2004.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of a chronic lumbar spine disability during service or related to the veteran's right foot disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current back disability is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's postoperative residuals of degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine warrant a 40 percent evaluation for limitation of motion of the lumbosacral spine, a 10 percent evaluation for impairment of the right sciatic nerve, and a 10 percent evaluation for a surgical scar.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and low back disabilities as well as a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The claims will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic low back disability in service or within one year post-service, and denied the veteran's claims for direct and secondary service connection.

The veteran's PTSD is service-connected and a 60 percent evaluation for his back disability has been granted effective January 29, 1993.,A total evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities has also been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, and no presumption of service connection applies. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current low back disability is related to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease with degenerative osteoarthritis at L4-5 (claimed as lumbar strain) was denied because there is no medical evidence of a link between his current disability and military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his low back and neck disabilities were denied. The low back disability was not rated higher than 40 percent, while the neck disability received a compensable evaluation prior to July 13, 2001, but no rating has been assigned since that date.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary for the veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and work history information. The case will be remanded to the RO/AMC for these purposes.