Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability did not originate in service and is therefore denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his low back disorder and bilateral knee disorders were denied. The RO granted service connection for these conditions, but did not assign any specific disability ratings.

The veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar degenerative disc disease with right L5 radiculopathy is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for sexual dysfunction and a back disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent, migraine headaches are rated as noncompensable prior to February 15, 2005 and 10 percent thereafter, and demyelinating polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity is rated at 10 percent. The veteran's claims for higher ratings were granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability in April 2000. The VA has now reviewed new evidence submitted since then, but it does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating this claim.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and obtain relevant medical records.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of a low back or neck disorder, and thus the veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for further development due to changes in rating criteria and the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and granted service connection for a low back disorder, including L5 spondylolysis with spinal epiphysitis, finding that his pre-existing condition was aggravated by military service.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disability, currently rated at 20 percent, does not warrant an increase to a higher rating due to his range of motion and symptoms being within the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a low back disability. The veteran's current low back disability is found to be unrelated to his military service.

The veteran seeks compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for nerve damage to the lumbar spine, claimed to have resulted from surgeries at VA medical facilities in July and March 1987. The case is remanded due to insufficient examination addressing the impact of a dural tear on his disability picture.

The Board has determined that the veteran's spondylolisthesis, grade II, with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine warrants a disability rating of 60 percent since February 10, 2006. The evidence does not support an increase in the disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and a low back disorder, finding that these conditions were not related to his active military service or any service-connected disability.

The veteran's employment as a full-time file room clerk at the VA Medical Center renders him unemployable for pension purposes, and his claim is denied.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's chronic post traumatic low back strain, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum from the October 2006 VA examiner to address whether the service-connected lumbar strain with myositis caused or aggravated the nonservice-connected degenerative joint and disc disease of the spine.

The Board found that the veteran's mid to low back disability does not warrant a higher rating, as it only manifests in moderate limitation of motion and does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under any applicable diagnostic codes.