Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2003

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right knee disorders, sleep and nerve disorders, muscle cramps, and personality changes. The claim for reopening of a claim of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back and left hip injuries, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating than the current 10 percent assigned.

The Board has granted a 60 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease, L5-S1, postoperative condition.

The case is being remanded for further development of the veteran's medical records and an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and extent of his service-connected lumbar spine disorder, including its impact on employment.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues and requested evidence. The case is now remanded for additional examinations and consideration.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that no new and material evidence had been received.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have a hand, low back, left ankle, left shoulder, neck, or bilateral hip disorder and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has ordered further development due to the need for additional evidence and clarification. The case is now being sent back to the Regional Office (RO) for specific actions, including obtaining in-patient hospital records from Fort Bragg1956 and arranging an orthopedic examination.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues regarding service connection for various knee and back disorders. The case is now remanded for additional evidence collection.

The Board has ordered further development due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. The case will be returned to the RO for these actions.

The Board has granted service connection for pelvic tilt, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with low back pain, and instability of the left knee as secondary to the veteran's service-connected healed fracture of the left proximal tibia and fibula.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left thigh disability and service connection for a low back disability, finding that there was no direct or secondary service connection.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including scheduling a VA examination for the back disability. The issues of service connection for a back disability and an earlier effective date for post-traumatic stress disorder are being remanded to allow for additional evidence collection and consideration.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, low back disability, and a disability manifested by high cholesterol and triglycerides due to lack of competent medical evidence of current chronic conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his varicose veins, lumbar degenerative disc disease, and tibial stress fracture residuals.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination. The issues include TDIU, service connection for back, knee, and hip disabilities, increased ratings for bilateral hammertoe deformities, and a temporary total rating based on convalescence following surgery in April 2002.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for a low back disorder and found that new and material evidence has been submitted. The case is now considered on its merits.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to failure of the RO to comply with a previous remand directive. The issues of increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right knee meniscectomy, and traumatic arthritis are addressed in the remand section.

The Board found that the veteran's head injuries did not cause his death and were not service-connected.

The veteran's service-connected low back disability was not manifested by severe intervertebral disc syndrome, severe limitation of motion, residuals of a fractured vertebra, ankylosis, or severe lumbosacral strain during the period from January 26, 1993, to July 12, 2001. Therefore, his claim for a higher evaluation was denied.