Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board found no evidence linking the appellant's back disorder to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current back disability is developmental/congenital in nature and unrelated to the back injury during service. Therefore, service connection for a back disability is denied.

The veteran's lumbar disc disease is currently rated at 40 percent, and his claim for TDIU based on this condition has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination and readjudication of the claims.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of revised rating criteria.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain with post-operative residuals of a herniated nucleus pulposus due to new evidence submitted since the last denial in April 1999.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of head trauma, low back injury, and right shoulder arthritis as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine disability is service-connected, with no new evidence provided to reopen the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of his low back disorder, service connection for a psychiatric disorder, and TDIU due to lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent prior to February 23, 2004 and at 40 percent from that date. His tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The left ring finger fracture residuals are rated at noncompensable, as is his left tympanic membrane perforation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus, and a back disorder. The denial is based on the lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressors related to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder is due to disease or injury incurred in active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee strain and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine are being remanded to allow for additional development.

The veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected dorsolumbar strain warrants a disability rating in excess of 10 percent, but further development is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further review due to inadequate medical examination and VCAA notice issues.

The VA has granted a 50 percent rating for the veteran's chronic low back strain, diffuse degenerative disc disease and unfavorable ankylosis. The other issues related to service connection have been addressed but are not included in this decision.

The VA determined that the veteran's back disorder is not related to his service or secondary to a service-connected right ankle disability, and arthritis of the spine was not shown within one year after separation from service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease was granted, and he is now rated at 40 percent effective from February 6, 2004.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's arthritis of the lower dorsal and upper lumbar spine with radiculopathy, currently rated at 20 percent.