Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2002

The veteran's increased evaluation claim for her left foot disability is denied as the evidence does not show that she has a more severe disability warranting a higher rating. The service connection claim for chronic low back strain secondary to her left foot disability is also denied because there is no medical evidence linking her low back condition to her service-connected foot disability.

The veteran's disabilities, including a low back disability and refractive error of the eyes, prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment due to his age and occupational experience. As such, he is granted a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a back disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for her right ankle and back disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on current symptomatology.

The veteran's lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease are currently rated at 60 percent, the maximum schedular evaluation. The Board finds that these conditions meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5293.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis and a compensable evaluation for the residuals of a fracture of the transverse processes of the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae, finding no clinical support for an etiological association between trauma and retroperitoneal fibrosis.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disorder secondary to the veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, but denied service connection for a back disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities are not service-connected due to a lack of credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back pain with limitation of motion warrants a disability rating of 20 percent, which is the current assigned rating. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder is related to his military service and has granted service connection. The left ankle disability was already service-connected, but a higher evaluation of 10 percent was granted.

The veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn, and the claims of entitlement to an effective date prior to October 30, 1996, for post-traumatic stress disorder; and entitlement to an effective date prior to June 15, 2000, for a total rating for compensation purposes based upon individual unemployability have been denied.

The veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent, the maximum under Diagnostic Code 5293-5292.,The veteran's migraine headaches are currently rated as noncompensably disabling (0 percent).,Both conditions have reached their maximum ratings based on the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's DDD, DJD and lumbosacral strain were evaluated at 20 percent from September 18, 1997 to December 29, 1998. From December 30, 1998, the evaluation was increased to 40 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current low back disability causally related to her military service, any incident therein, or any service-connected condition. Therefore, service connection for a low back disability is denied.

The veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes was denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a fractured pelvis with right leg discrepancy is denied.,The veteran's claims for initial and subsequent ratings in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease and scoliosis of the lumbar spine are also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim for service connection, and also concluded that the veteran was not unemployable solely due to his service-connected left knee disorder.

The Board denied an increased rating for service-connected lumbar strain, finding that the veteran's symptoms did not warrant a compensable evaluation.