Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disorder and disability manifested by drug addiction, as well as his claim of service connection for HIV-related disability. The reasons given include lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any other valid theory of service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's mental disorder and lower back disability are not service-connected as they are not causally related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of inservice incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a well-grounded claim for service connection for the lumbar spine disorder or right hip disorder, and thus denied these claims. The veteran's cervical spine disability remains at 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple lipomas and a low back disability, finding that his claims were not well-grounded.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating were denied. The low back disability claim was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, while the cervical spine disability claim was denied outright as there is no medical evidence linking it to service.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently evaluated at the maximum allowable rating of 60%. Service connection for erectile dysfunction has been granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has denied reopening the claims for service connection for PTSD and low back disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disorder, which was initially denied in 1963. The veteran's current back problems are attributed to degenerative disc disease unrelated to his in-service injury.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back, right knee, and right hip disorders are not related to his period of active service or his residuals of a right great toe fracture. The claims for these conditions were therefore denied as not well-grounded.

The Board denied an increase in the evaluation for service-connected mechanical low back pain and a compensable evaluation for service-connected residuals of a nasal fracture, both from their initial grants of service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increase in his 10 percent rating for a low back disability was denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has granted a 40 percent disability evaluation for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and denied a compensable disability evaluation for metatarsal calluses of the left foot.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and lumbosacral degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis and L5-S1 herniated intravertebral disc as secondary to her service-connected left ankle disability. The claim of entitlement to increased evaluation for residuals of a left ankle sprain is granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left lower extremity disability and for an increased rating for her right ankle disability. The right ankle disability is currently rated at 40%.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected hiatal hernia, effective from January 18, 1997. The veteran is also entitled to a compensable rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and residuals of a fracture of the right ankle.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the new evidence submitted did not establish a new factual basis warranting service connection.

The veteran's service-connected gouty arthritis and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine have been rated based on their respective disabilities, with some separate evaluations for different parts of his body. The overall evaluation remains at 70 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The veteran is granted a 40 percent evaluation for low back disability, effective from January 5, 1995.

The Board denied an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain prior to July 31, 1996 and denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and narrowing of the joint space at L2 - L3.