Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2007

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and granted it. The veteran's current diagnosis of osteoarthritis is related to his military service, as evidenced by an affidavit from a fellow POW who witnessed injuries sustained during service.

The Board found no evidence of a current low back disorder and denied service connection for the veteran's loss of toenails. The Board concluded that there was insufficient medical evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was granted, and the effective date for TDIU was set at June 8, 1992.

The Board granted the veteran a 20 percent rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain effective February 25, 1994. The Court vacated this decision and remanded it to the Board.

The Board has denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim of service connection for low back disability, finding that the new evidence does not establish a nexus between his current condition and service.

The Board denied the veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for cervicodorsal spine myositis and lumbar paravertebral myositis, as well as for bronchial asthma. The evidence submitted was found not new or material.,The veteran's contentions linking his post-service conditions to his service were essentially the same as those previously made.

The Board found that the veteran's back disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder, bilateral knee disorders, and kidney/bladder disorders are all attributable to service. The veteran's teeth extraction is not considered service-connected.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen his PTSD service connection, finding no new and material evidence. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for PPS, back disability, and bilateral heel disability are pending.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case will be dismissed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability warrants a 20 percent rating, which is the maximum schedular evaluation available for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to a lack of clear and unmistakable error in the assignment of the effective date, as no evidence was provided to support such a claim.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for cervical spondylosis is denied.,An effective date of July 8, 1998 is granted for the assignment of a 60 percent rating for lumbosacral spine disorder.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar disc protrusion, L4-5 and major depression. The claim to reopen the post-operative right ankle disability was not addressed.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 40 percent for spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine with limitation of motion is being remanded due to a need for further examination and development.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and left knee disabilities, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling examinations.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disorder and allowed it, finding that new evidence received since the last denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board determined that the veteran's current back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle injury and degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbosacral spine are not service connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for compensation benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for low back disability resulting from VA treatment in 1986.