Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, and his right knee and dermatitis disabilities do not warrant ratings higher than 10 percent.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected low back disability, which is the highest possible rating under Diagnostic Code 5293.

The case is being remanded to the RO for a personal hearing before a member of the Board, and then further appellate action will be taken.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, coronary artery disease, was not incurred or aggravated during his military service and is not presumed to have been so incurred. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder disability, lumbosacral strain, and antral gastritis and duodenitis. The appeals were not about service connection.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the appellant's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that his symptoms are severe and consistent with the criteria for such a rating.

The Board denied a higher initial evaluation for the veteran's low back muscle pain, finding that the disability has been manifested primarily by subjective complaints of back pain and occasional tenderness to palpation. The evidence did not support an evaluation greater than 10 percent under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is proximately due to, or the result of, his service-connected avulsion fracture of the lateral right malleolus with traumatic arthritis.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for residuals of a head injury and granted an increased rating to 20 percent for the low back disorder.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for PTSD, a low back condition, a right knee disability, and tinnitus as there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for his low back disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or after service and no relationship to an in-service injury.

The Board finds that the veteran's current low back disability is due to his injury in 1968 while on active duty for training, and grants service connection.

The veteran's low back disability, with degenerative disc disease, is rated at the highest schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5293 due to severe limitation of motion and persistent symptoms compatible with sciatic neuropathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and evaluations for his right knee disability, arthritis of the right knee, and low back disabilities due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for a back disability has been received, thus granting the veteran's petition to reopen his claim.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at the highest possible evaluation of 100 percent.,For his shell fragment wound to the lumbar region, he does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected low back disability was denied. The maximum schedular evaluation of 60 percent is assigned, and the appeal is dismissed as there are no additional issues to consider.

The Board granted an effective date of November 17, 1997 for a 20 percent evaluation for intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbosacral spine.

The veteran's service-connected back disabilities do not meet the criteria for an increased rating or TDIU.

The Board found that the veteran's back condition was not incurred or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.