Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection due to lack of well-grounded evidence, finding no credible link between his current low back disorder and service.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current low back disorder to his military service, and thus denied the claim as not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased initial disability evaluations for his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome, lumbar spine and cervical spine. The veteran was granted an initial noncompensable evaluation for tendonitis of the right upper extremity and a 10 percent initial disability rating for tendonitis of the left upper extremity and chondromalacia patella, right knee.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining workers' compensation records and ensuring all evidence is considered.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder warrants a 40 percent rating from September 2, 1998, based on severe limitation of motion due to pain.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left index finger, a bilateral hip disorder, and low back strain. The claim for a higher evaluation for the left shoulder disorder was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis did not undergo a chronic increase in severity during service, nor was there any additional disability caused by superimposed disease or injury. As such, the claim for service connection for a low back disorder is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for post-operative residuals of herniated lumbar discs as secondary to his service-connected pilonidal cyst removal residuals is well grounded. The RO must readjudicate these claims and provide additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected back disability, manifested by mild-to-moderate limitation of motion and severe degenerative joint disease with no tenderness or discomfort on range of motion, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability due to new and material evidence, but it is unclear whether the condition is related to service. The case will be remanded for further examination.

The veteran's neck disability is granted, and his left knee, lumbosacral strain, right wrist, and right shoulder disabilities are each rated at the minimum of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for an anal fistula and back disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied increased evaluations for the veteran's low back and right knee disabilities, as well as a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability.

The Board has denied an increased rating for the veteran's back disability, finding that the current evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on residuals of a fractured vertebra or complete bony fixation (ankylosis) of the spine.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of an injury to the lumbar spine, cholesterol ratio imbalance, and residuals of a vasectomy, finding that there was no evidence showing these conditions were related to his military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss or back disorder to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current neurological disorder, including polyneuropathy and a low back condition, did not begin in service or due to his service-connected brucellosis. The medical evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted a 60 percent disability evaluation for the service-connected lumbar syndrome, post operative diskectomy and laminectomy of L4-5 and L5-S1, finding that it meets the criteria for pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic low back pain does not warrant a disability rating greater than 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hyperlipidemia and a higher evaluation for lumbar spinal stenosis of L4-5, with pars deficit at right L5. The decision found that there was no current diagnosis of hyperlipidemia and that the evidence did not support a finding of disability related to service.