Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any current back disorder, sinus disability, and tingling of the arms and hands. The effective dates for service connection are also being reviewed.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for low back disability and granted a rating of 30% for PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability and a foot disability.,Additional development is required before the merits of these reopened claims can be addressed.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disorder is service-connected and reopened his claim for a skin disorder of the feet based on new evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for back and head conditions, finding no current disability or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back injury, which manifested during active service, is related to his current condition and grants service connection for residuals of a low back injury.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant or specially adapted housing under 38 U.S.C.A. � 2101(a).

The veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy and low back disability, as well as his requests for increased evaluations for various shell fragment wound disabilities, were denied. The Board found that new evidence did not reopen the claim for peripheral neuropathy, and that there was no direct or secondary service connection for the low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine if the veteran's current conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing disability determination records and clinical records.

The veteran's lumbosacral strain with bilateral spondylosis at L5-S1 is currently rated as 40 percent disabling. The bone spur in the left foot and mallet toe deformity of the right foot are both rated as non-compensable.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining verification of any additional service claimed by the veteran and requesting medical records pertaining to such service. The VA must also obtain all outstanding VA treatment reports, particularly those from the VA Medical Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1971. Additionally, the VA must contact the Social Security Administration to request all medical documentation utilized in awarding disability benefits.

The veteran is seeking service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, which he claims was caused by a back injury sustained in 1964 while unloading ammunition boxes in Germany. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain relevant medical records and statements from fellow servicemen.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD as secondary to the veteran's service-connected asthma, but has remanded the issue of service connection for lumbar disc disease due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for the residuals of a lumbar spine injury and has determined that an initial compensable rating is warranted for the status postoperative laparotomy and partial colon resection for gangrenous colon segment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability warrants a separate rating of 30 percent for instability and 20 percent for limitation of motion, effective from January 27, 1997.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 26, 2002 for the TDIU rating based on service-connected disabilities. The veteran's combined disability rating was 60 percent at that time.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural errors and incomplete service medical records. The veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, which may be related to his right knee disorder or pre-existing condition, will need further clarification from the VA examiner.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is related to service and grants this claim. The issue of benign prostatic hypertrophy remains pending as a VA examination was not conducted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, right hip disability, left hip disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right knee disability, and vision problems. The decision found that there was no evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder during service or in the years following service.