Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board has granted increased ratings for the appellant's low back and cervical spine disabilities, but denied an increase in rating for his right hand carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board found that the veteran's lumbar spine disability existed prior to service and was aggravated by service, but denied service connection for it. The claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional searches of the veteran's service records and consideration of new evidence. The claims for service connection are being considered on their merits, with some issues granted and others not.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disorder, but concluded that there is no competent medical evidence linking the current condition to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine was not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied his claim.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and denied increased evaluations for residuals of shell fragment wounds of the forehead, left elbow, and right wrist. The veteran's current conditions are not well-grounded as there is no medical evidence linking them to an incident of service or to a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability is not well-grounded and denied it.

The Board found no current residuals of the head injury and denied service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The veteran's headaches are already service connected.

The VA has determined that the veteran's degenerative lumbar vertebral disease does not warrant a rating higher than 40 percent.

The Board has granted service-connection for a cervical spine disability including degenerative disc disease and coronary artery disease, with a 10 percent rating. Service connection was not granted for the right hip disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability based on aggravation, and assigned a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for cervical myofascial pain syndrome and a 20 percent evaluation for degenerative disc disease at L5-S1, both previously rated as 10 percent. The TDIU issue is not before the Board.

The Board has granted an increased evaluation of the veteran's lumbosacral strain to 20 percent, effective from June 1998. The cervical spine condition remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for loss of bladder and bowel control are not well grounded as there is no evidence showing a current disability related to service or service-connected low back disability. The claim for residuals of injury to the head, including scarring, is also not well grounded due to lack of credible evidence of such an injury during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are not well grounded. The evidence does not meet the threshold requirement of establishing a plausible claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for lumbosacral strain and left knee meniscectomy with degenerative changes were denied as the veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board has determined that the veteran's seizure disorder and low back disability are not related to service, including any exposure to herbicides or other service events. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The claims for service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine and both knees are not well-grounded.,The veteran's residuals of a fracture of the left olecranon process and open reduction with limitation of flexion and osteoarthritis of the left elbow is productive of X-ray evidence of arthritis, and objective evidence of pain and limitation of motion. The RO has assigned a 10% rating based on this.,The veteran's service-connected left knee scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as there is no manifestation of pain or limitation of function.