Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet VA compensation criteria and denied his claim for service connection. The Board also noted that he had heel contusions in service but no evidence of a current heel disability, and back strain in service with no current back disability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded to the RO for further development, including consideration under the revised rating criteria effective September 26, 2003.

The Board finds that the veteran's right hip arthritis and low back disorder are secondary to his service-connected left knee disorder, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claim. The bilateral foot disorder is not related to his service-connected left knee disorder.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current conditions to his military service, and thus denied all three issues of service connection.

The Board has received notification from the appellant that they wish to withdraw their appeal, and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The VA Regional Office (RO) continued the veteran's 40 percent disability rating for his lumbar spine disability, which was previously diagnosed as residuals of a low back injury with herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP).

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current disabilities to service, including his claimed lumbosacral strain, irritable bowel syndrome, dorsal spine disorder, and psychiatric disorder. The claim for PTSD was also denied due to lack of verified stressor.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the veteran with proper VCAA notification.

The Board denied service connection for low back pain, musculoskeletal symptoms, and knee pain as undiagnosed illnesses due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of disabilities of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, finding that no legal basis existed to assign such a date.

The veteran was granted service connection for PTSD, a back disorder, defective hearing, tinnitus, and gastrointestinal disorders as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation. The other issues were not granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding that there was no competent medical evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for chronic low back pain is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting an orthopedic examination.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disability is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including proper notification of the VCAA and use of appropriate rating criteria.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral strain with traumatic arthritis and right knee arthritis. The veteran was previously granted service connection for these conditions, but the appeals were not about the initial grant of service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and new issues were addressed. The RO granted an increased rating of 10 percent for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease effective from March 14, 2003, but the other claims remain pending.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back condition as secondary to service-connected residuals of a left knee injury, but further development is needed before the merits can be decided.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, to include as secondary to a service-connected right ankle disability. The new evidence submitted indicates that the veteran currently has a low back disability and an orthopedic specialist opined that it is at least as likely as not related to his military service, including any aggravated leg length discrepancy.