Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left ankle, stomach, and low back disabilities. The examiner found no current diagnoses or etiology that supported these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination and review of all relevant medical records to determine if the veteran's current back disability is related to service.

The veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus secondary to sleep apnea and an increased rating for lumbosacral strain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability and finds that it was incurred during active service. The benefit of doubt is applied in favor of the veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including addressing secondary service connection claims and adjudicating a claim of CUE in an August 1983 rating decision.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for his service-connected low back strain, currently rated at 40 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria to warrant a higher rating.

The veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and a higher rating for PTSD were denied. The earliest possible effective date is September 26, 1996.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back strain and L5-S1 disc herniation are service-connected, with no new evidence provided to reopen his claim for reactive airway disease. The decision is based on the medical opinions indicating a direct relationship between the current conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and peripheral neuropathy were not incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back and hip disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and are not related to any injury sustained during his military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a low back disability, and conjunctivitis of the left eye. The evidence does not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and low back disability. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence showing in-service or post-service causation, while the claim for low back disability was denied as there was no medical nexus linking the current condition to service.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a low back injury was denied. The claim for monetary allowance under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805 for a child of a Vietnam veteran for disability resulting from spina bifida was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of several issues, including determining whether the appellant is eligible to receive DIC benefits as the surviving spouse of the veteran. The claims for service connection, DIC benefits, and death pension are also being considered.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and thus the case is dismissed.

The VA has not provided the requested Tuskegee VA Medical Center records from 1972 to 2002, and the case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease with Fusion of the Lumbosacral Spine, arthritis, and an eye disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability with sciatica was granted service connection.,Her digestive (gastric) disability claim was denied.

The veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent prior to June 11, 2002 and at 20 percent from June 11, 2002. The left knee disability warrants a noncompensable rating. Pseudofolliculitis barbae is rated at 10 percent. Bilateral trigger finger disabilities are each rated as noncompensable.