Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for consideration of revised rating criteria and potential prejudice.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and shoulder disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not sufficient to reopen the claim of service connection for a low back disorder.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current back disorders to his service, thus denying service connection for degenerative disc disease and intraspinal cystic lesions. The claim for PTSD was not addressed due to incomplete verification of claimed stressors.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for low back disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back disorder, right Achilles tendon, and left Achilles tendon disabilities. The appeals were not adjudicated on service connection for postoperative residual scars of the low back and Achilles tendons of each ankle.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including consideration of whether a staged rating is appropriate for the period from January 1998 to August 2001. The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability will be reviewed under the proper criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic low back disorder and residuals of a left wrist fracture, finding that no new and material evidence had been received to reopen his claim for infectious hepatitis.

The veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and his low back disability is rated at 40 percent. Both conditions are considered to be service-connected.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and a low back disorder. The claim for a right thigh disorder is pending and will be addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a request for another travel board hearing.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and granted an initial compensable evaluation for migraines, but found no current low back disability. The claim is remanded to obtain relevant private treatment records.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board affirmed the RO's decisions, noting that the veteran did not meet the percentage criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and affording the veteran with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his back condition.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected back disability was granted, and he is now receiving a 40 percent evaluation. The claims of entitlement to service connection for prostatitis and nonservice-connected disability pension benefits were denied. His application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for prostatitis has been granted.

The Board found that the veteran's lumbosacral strain, characterized by low back pain, was incurred during his period of active service. However, the degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with right leg radiculopathy or sciatica is not related to his period of active duty and thus denied.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination applying revised rating criteria, and for notification of VCAA provisions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination and compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA).

The Board has determined that there is no connection between the veteran's current lumbar spine and irritable bowel syndrome conditions and his period of active duty service.

The veteran's claims for an increased rating for headaches and compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 (West 2002) for various disabilities are being remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records, lack of proper notice regarding the VCAA requirements, and need for additional medical examinations.