Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for arteriosclerotic heart disease and myositis, lumbosacral paravertebral.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including a back disability, lung disability, bilateral knee disability, post-traumatic stress disorder, and nicotine dependence, are not well-grounded. As such, these claims have been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, finding that these conditions originated during service.

The veteran's low back disability is not service-connected as there is no medical evidence linking it to his military service.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis is granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service. The veteran has a history of foot pain dating back to 1990, which continues into the present day.,The claim for abnormal liver function test results is denied as there is no medical evidence showing a current disability.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis is not well-grounded as there is no competent medical evidence linking it to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA orthopedic examination. The issues on appeal are whether an increased initial evaluation should be granted for his right hip disability and if the bilateral factor was appropriately considered in previous rating decisions.

The veteran's lumbar disc disease was rated at 20 percent prior to August 1, 1998, and increased to 60 percent thereafter. The RO denied higher ratings for the condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder and assigned a 40 percent disability evaluation. The veteran is seeking a higher initial rating.

The Board denied the veteran's attempts to establish service connection for a low back disability and denied his increased rating claims for knee disabilities. The decision also noted that all evidence necessary for an equitable disposition of the veteran's appeal as it pertains to the evaluation of his knee disabilities has been obtained by the RO.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of anterior cervical fusion with diskectomy at C6-7 and degenerative disc disease at C5-7 warrant a rating of 20 percent, reflecting moderate limitation of motion.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for a back and left thigh disability are not well-grounded as there is no evidence to support these conditions were incurred during his active or inactive duty for training.

The VA determined that there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's lumbar spine disability to his service or any incident therein, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected bipolar disorder and also denied his application to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability.

The veteran's low back syndrome is currently rated at 20 percent and effective from May 21, 1998. The RO increased the evaluation from 10 percent to 20 percent in November 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, stress fractures of both lower extremities, a back disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected low back disability is granted, with a current rating of 40 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with traumatic arthritis and unstable collateral ligament, right meniscectomy. The left knee disability claim was also denied as secondary to the service-connected back and right knee conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's low back and neck conditions do not warrant increased ratings, with the current 20 percent rating for his low back condition and 10 percent rating for his residuals of a neck injury with spurring at C-5 disc level being denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for low back strain with spondylolysis at L-5, finding that his pre-existing condition did not worsen during service.

The veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent since February 9, 1994. The claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disorder warrants a 40 percent rating, reflecting severe low back disability.