Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's compression fracture and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, or his cervical disc disease, to service. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Board found the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder not well grounded due to lack of medical evidence linking his current condition to service, including a fall in 1971. The claim was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy and a back disorder, finding that his claim was not well-grounded. The right knee disability claim is also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral knee disability is service-connected due to injury sustained during active duty. However, there is insufficient evidence linking his current lumbosacral spine disability to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for strain of the paravertebral lumbar muscles on the right and degenerative joint disease with joint space narrowing at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and his period of active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disorder and did not reopen his claim for low back disorder.

The veteran's claims of service connection for jungle rot, peripheral vascular disease, bilateral elbow disability, hip disability, and low back disability are denied as not well grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative disc disease of L4-L5 and L5-S1 is service-connected, but his anxiety disorder and cognitive disorder are not. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's thyroid nodular disease, bilateral cataracts of the eyes, and low back disability based on exposure to ionizing radiation in service. The effective date is not specified as it was determined that there was no new evidence to reopen previous claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, low back disorder, kidney disorder (claimed as hematuria), prostate disorder, lung disorder, and migraine headaches. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular disease including hypertension is not well-grounded, and his claims for increased ratings for thoracolumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and found that the veteran's current left foot disability warrants a 10 percent evaluation.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from Tucson and requesting medical evidence linking the veteran's disabilities to service.

The Board found that the appellant's diagnoses of degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine and lumbar spine are not related to inservice neck and back injuries, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder did not originate in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical and thoracic spine disabilities are not service-connected, but acknowledges that there were in-service complaints related to these conditions. The decision is mixed as some issues have been granted while others have not.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected low back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current symptoms and examination findings.

The veteran's claims for a left knee disability evaluation and a nonservice-connected pension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his records. The RO will consider staged ratings for the left knee disability, assign separate ratings for each nonservice-connected disorder, and readjudicate the issue of entitlement to a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has ordered a new examination to determine if the veteran's preexisting back disorders increased in severity or worsened during service.