Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and have denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disorder, finding that the evidence received since the June 1987 rating decision is not new and material.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may arthritis be presumed to have been incurred in service. The gastrointestinal disability was denied due to lack of evidence showing a chronic condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a low back condition (lumbosacral discogenic disease) that he claims is secondary to his already service-connected right and left knee conditions. The case has been remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and denied his claim. For his low back strain, the Board determined that a rating of 20 percent is warranted based on the objective findings.

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected low back disability is being remanded to allow the scheduling of a Travel Board hearing.

The veteran's low back disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to July 22, 1998 and increased to 20 percent effective from that date. The appeal is for higher ratings.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected myositis, lumbosacral paravertebral disability, finding that the current 20% rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The veteran's cervical spine disorder is found to be related to a World War II injury, and service connection for this condition is granted.,Service connection for residuals of a head injury is denied as there is no evidence linking the current conditions to an incident in service.,The veteran's bilateral leg disability (varicose veins) is not considered to have been caused or aggravated by an incident in service, and service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's dorsolumbar strain warrants a 10 percent disability rating, effective from the date of his claim.

The Board finds that the service-connected arthritis of the hips and lumbar spine caused or contributed to the veteran's death due to a fall at home, which was the immediate cause of his death.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material to reopen the claim of service connection for a low back disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current disability of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine segments is related to an injury sustained during service.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 60 percent for the veteran's service-connected hypertrophic osteoarthritis, lumbosacral vertebra, which more nearly approximates pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine condition effective January 17, 1992. This was based on new evidence received after the December 1963 denial.

The Board found that the appellant's current back disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a lumbosacral injury warrant a 40 percent evaluation, reflecting severe limitation of motion.

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

The veteran's service-connected low back disorder does not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, as his disability is rated at 40 percent disabling.