Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current back disorder to his period of military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar strain, irritable bowel syndrome, and dysplastic nevus syndrome. The veteran's lumbar strain is rated at 10 percent, his irritable bowel syndrome at 30 percent, and his dysplastic nevus syndrome remains at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder blade injury, low back injury, and left knee injury are not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence supporting his claimed conditions and exposure history. The effective date for the hearing loss disability remains unchanged.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the last denial does not constitute new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection of a back disability.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back disorder and gunshot wound residuals, contributed substantially to causing the veteran's death from recurrent small cell lung cancer.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating and TDIU based on his service-connected low back disability, finding that a 60% evaluation was not warranted prior to July 22, 1991.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine and rheumatoid arthritis involving the sacroiliac joints was granted, with a maximum rating of 60 percent for DDD and no compensable rating for rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for lumbosacral strain, finding that her claims were not well-grounded.

The Board has granted service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome and assigned a noncompensable evaluation. The veteran's claims for low back pain and hiatal hernia were denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the veteran's service and obtain medical records, as well as SSA records. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and SMC have been granted. The rating for the lumbosacral spine has been increased to 60 percent, effective from January 23, 1979, with a separate 60 percent rating for the neurogenic bladder since that date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right and left knee disabilities, as well as a compensable evaluation for his bilateral tinea infection. The claim to reopen his heart disorder was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for right hip, low back, eye, and left knee disorders due to a lack of competent medical evidence showing these conditions are related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability warrants a rating of 40 percent, effective from November 1992.

The Board has granted a 20% rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a compression fracture of the lumbar spine (L1 vertebra), effective from October 1992, and denied an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with a rating of 40 percent assigned for lumbar myofascial pain syndrome from May 7, 1996 to November 7, 1996. The mood disorder secondary to low back pain was rated at 50 percent effective from November 7, 1996.

The VA surgery in October 1992 did not result in additional disability or aggravation of pre-existing conditions, but the veteran's pain disorder associated with psychological factors was aggravated by the surgery.

The Board denied service connection for rhinitis and did not grant increased ratings for the right knee disorder or low back disorder.