Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various disabilities, finding no competent medical evidence linking current conditions to military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a disorder manifested by memory loss is not well-grounded. The issues of increased evaluations for left nephrectomy, lumbosacral strain with arthritis and sciatic neuralgia, bronchitis with history of pulmonary fibrosis, and left ear hearing loss have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated employment information and medical records.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his degenerative disc disease at L3-L4 and L4-L5 is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis warrants a 20 percent evaluation, reflecting moderate disability.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for her service-connected degenerative disc disease, L3-4, L4-5. She also seeks an extraschedular evaluation due to the impact of this disability on employment.

The Board has found that the veteran's claims are well grounded and have determined that there is a plausible connection between his service-connected Achilles tendon rupture of the left foot and his current right knee, left knee, and low back disorders. The case is being remanded for further examination to determine the nature and extent of these conditions.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for postoperative residuals of a left inguinal hernia and arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, finding that there was no objective evidence of current disability.

The veteran's right hip disability is currently rated as 90 percent disabling. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence supports a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded and denied them.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability, evaluated as 10 percent disabling, does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including orthopedic and neurologic examinations.

The VA Board found that the veteran's lumbosacral strain is manifested by characteristic pain on motion, fatigability, weakness, and spasm. The disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding no medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar and cervical degenerative disc disease, with a rating of 20 percent. The veteran is now eligible to receive attorney fees based on past-due benefits resulting from this decision.

The Board found no competent evidence of a current chronic low back disorder and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, including spondylolisthesis of L5 and lumbosacral strain, is not well grounded.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder is related to his service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted increased disability ratings for the veteran's shell fragment wound of the left lumbar area and partial paralysis of the left lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, with a rating of 40 percent for each condition.