Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to address the relationship between the veteran's low back disability and his service-connected residuals of frozen feet.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, gum disease as residuals of in-service exposure to ionizing radiation, and arthritis of the lumbar spine as residuals of in-service exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for sexual dysfunction due to VA surgery performed in August 1987 was also denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for further action, including obtaining additional VA medical records and ensuring compliance with VCAA notification requirements.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD or a low back disability, as there is no medical evidence of a diagnosis of these conditions based on any recognized stressor and the constellation of symptoms associated with them. The veteran's current disabilities are not shown to be related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for specialized examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with L5-S1 spondylolisthesis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and requests that additional evidence be obtained before a decision can be made on the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and low back disabilities.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and found that new and material evidence had been submitted. The Board determined that there was no nexus between the veteran's back disorder and his active duty military service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred due to a specific exposure basis.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of his low back disability is being remanded due to the need for a medical examination and consideration of new regulations regarding spine disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 1, 2001 for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, finding that they are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a lumbosacral disc syndrome related to service or due to, or aggravated by his service-connected osteoarthritis of the thoracolumbar spine. As such, the claim for an increased rating was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation and training benefits, finding that he has overcome the effects of impairment of unemployability through employment in an occupation consistent with his abilities, aptitudes, and interests.

The VA determined that the veteran's low back strain with degenerative changes does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his nonservice-connected conditions, which include COPD, hypertension, visual impairment, arthritis of the lumbar spine, and other chronic health issues.

The veteran's appeal involves two issues: a request for an increased rating for bursitis of the right shoulder prior to August 22, 2003 and another for IVDS and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine as of that date. The decision is mixed, with some aspects granted and others not.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic low back disorder, finding no evidence of a current disability related to military service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for low back arthritis as secondary to left knee injury residuals, postoperative total knee arthroplasty.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to decide the claim for service connection for a back disorder, including determining if the current condition is related to a pre-existing defect or disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a respiratory disorder and low back disorder, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or herbicide exposure.