Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2003

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board denied service connection for upper back or neck strain and low back strain, finding no chronic disability during service and insufficient evidence linking current symptoms to military service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a fracture of the second lumbar vertebra.

The VA determined that the veteran's back problems are secondary to his right knee disability, but found that the aggravation is minimal and does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The veteran's low back disability has been productive of the equivalent of pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome as manifested by radiculopathy, diminished ankle jerk, limitation of motion with pain in all directions, weakness of the lumbar spine due to pain, and fatigability of the lumbar spine due to pain. The Board grants a 60 percent rating for his low back disability.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that his current lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis is related to lifting heavy ammunition in service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder and did not reopen the claim of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the lumbar spine did not begin during or as a result of any incident of service, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disorder is partly due to injury while parachute jumping during a period of Army Reserve training, including inactive duty training in September 1980. The Board concludes that this condition was incurred in service and grants service connection for the low back disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 20, 1999 and between March 20, 1999 and February 22, 2000. The veteran was awarded a 40% rating for the period between these dates.

The Board found no evidence that the veteran's low back disability was caused by the VA surgery in March 1992, and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disability is related to his active service and granted service connection for residuals of a low back injury.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of multiple joints, including the cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulders, wrists, hands, and knees. The decision is based on a finding that these conditions are likely related to injuries sustained during military service.

The Board denied compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for left shoulder, neck, low back, and middle back disorders claimed to have resulted from VA treatment in December 1985.

The veteran's low back disorder, left shoulder disorder, residuals of a right ankle sprain, residuals of a right fifth finger injury, headaches, and left leg disorder were not shown to be related to service. The appeal is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions have been remanded due to the need for compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant due to lack of statutory eligibility, as he is not statutorily eligible for these benefits.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on current symptoms and medical findings.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability as secondary to his service-connected cervical spine strain with degenerative changes. The July 1980 RO decision denying this claim is final.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 and continued the 20 percent rating for compression fracture of the thoracolumbar spine with anterior wedging of L1.