Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2007

The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, effective August 23, 2006. The RO increased this rating from 10 percent to 20 percent.

The veteran's claim for residuals of cold injury in the right foot was denied. However, his claim for compensation for nerve damage to the right foot as secondary to 1151 disability of amputation of the right great toe has been granted.,New and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for residuals of cold injury in the left foot and a back disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current back disability is related to service, and thus grants service connection for a back disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a coccyx disability, right hip arthritis, right knee arthritis, or degenerative joint and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine due to service. The evidence does not support any connection between these conditions and service.

The veteran's degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine and thoracolumbar region were rated at 40 percent effective from September 26, 2003. The rating was granted as direct service connection.

The Board found that the veteran did not have an employment handicap and thus, basic entitlement to vocational rehabilitation training was denied.

The veteran was granted service connection for PTSD due to his combat experiences in Vietnam.,Service connection was denied for a right knee disorder, back disorder, and skin disorder as there is no evidence of such conditions related to active military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's low back disability, claimed as low back pain, was not incurred or aggravated during her period of service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for lumbosacral strain, tinnitus, and residuals of toe fractures. The claims for higher initial ratings for knee disabilities (left knee status-post meniscectomy with chondromalacia of the patella, right knee strain with chondromalacia of the patella) and ankle sprains were also denied. The claim for a compensable initial evaluation for hypertension was not addressed as it is not related to service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA orthopedic examination to diagnose any cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities, if present, and to provide an opinion on their etiology. The veteran's service records show complaints of neck and back pain but no current diagnoses were made until after service.

The Board found that the veteran's lumbar myositis with L2-L3 vertebral disc body irregularities did not meet the criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The RO increased the disability rating for the veteran's low back disability from 20 percent to 40 percent, effective September 17, 2002. The neurological manifestations of the service-connected low back disability were also granted a 10 percent initial rating, effective September 17, 2002.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's low back disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability and cervical spine disability are causally related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a lumbar spine disability that was present in service or is otherwise related to active duty service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder and left hip strain, finding no evidence of a direct or secondary relationship to his service-connected foot disability. The claim for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine is pending.

The Board found that the veteran's current knee and low back disorders are not causally related to his period of active duty, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has ordered additional evidence to be obtained as the veteran provided information about VA treatment records in Las Vegas, Nevada. The claim will be reconsidered after this new evidence is received.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of secondary service connection for transverse myelitis or sexual dysfunction, and that there was no objective evidence showing that the December 1993 hospitalization was for treatment of his service-connected low back sprain.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and initial evaluations in excess of 20 percent for right and left hip limitation of motion and lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The RO continued the existing evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5243.