Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's appeals for service connection for left elbow and right ankle disorders were dismissed due to failure to file a timely substantive appeal.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated medical records, regulatory changes in spine rating criteria, and recent testimony indicating increased severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied reopening the veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disorder, right shoulder disorder, and low back disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found no evidence of mustard gas exposure during service and concluded that the veteran's current pulmonary disability is not related to his military service. The back disorder was attributed to a service-connected injury, but the link between mustard gas exposure and the lung condition could not be established.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for secondary service connection for low back and right knee disabilities, as new and material evidence was not received. The claim for increased rating for left knee replacement disability is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, lumbar spine with bilateral lower leg disorder including pain and numbness, osteoarthritis of the left knee, generalized weakness of the body, and leg numbness.,Service connection was not established for any of these conditions.

The VA has determined that the veteran's low back disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, as his condition does not meet the criteria for more severe intervertebral disc syndrome or unfavorable ankylosis.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disorder is not related to any incident during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected low back disability is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to apply revised criteria for evaluating spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to determine the current severity of the veteran's lumbar disc disease and his ability to work due to this disability. The TDIU claim will also be reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, left ankle disability, low back disability, and upper respiratory disorder.,There is no evidence of chronic conditions in service or until many years after service separation. The veteran's current disabilities are not related to military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis, thoracic and lumbar strain; avascular necrosis of the right hip; and avascular necrosis of the left hip are being remanded due to incomplete notice under VCAA and need further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for low back pain, left ankle sprain, and hearing loss. The veteran did not have a current disability for these conditions as determined by VA examination and medical records.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder and intermittent numbness of the left leg were not incurred or aggravated during service, including by his service-connected shell fragment wound to the left buttock.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and addressing the veteran's TDIU claim.

The VA determined that the veteran's chronic acquired low back disorder, claimed as residuals of injuries, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.

The Board found no evidence of a current chronic back disorder related to service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hammertoes. The Board found that there was no causal relationship between the service-connected hammertoes and the current knee and back disorders.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected lumbosacral strain, including consideration of the new regulatory criteria for evaluating disorders of the spine. The AMC will also ensure that VCAA examination and medical opinion requirements are met as to this issue.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected back disorder, headache disorder, or psychiatric disability based on the appellant's claimed incident. The claims were denied.