Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted entitlement to compensation benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a right arm disability as a result of VA treatment in April 1979 and service connection for a lumbar spine disorder. The claim for hepatitis was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his thoracolumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for status post surgical repair, testicular torsion was withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision. The low back disability claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were granted, with the right knee meniscal repair receiving a 20 percent rating from July 8, 2007 to September 1, 2009. The other conditions received their respective initial disability ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the regulatory criteria for a bilateral hearing loss disability and denied service connection for his low back disability. The claim to reopen the knee condition was found to have new and material evidence, but no decision on this issue is provided.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his low back and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The criteria for an evaluation in excess of the assigned ratings were not met.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder and back disorder were denied. The Board found no current evidence of the claimed conditions, and determined that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for a back disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes and spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine. The issue of service connection for a cervical spine disorder is remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's low back disability was found to be manifested by chronic pain, limitation of flexion to 50 degrees, and a total range of motion greater than 120 degrees without muscle spasm, guarding, abnormal gait or spinal contour. The Board granted an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain prior to November 20, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for residuals of a laminectomy and depression was denied. The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective August 23, 2007.

The Board determined that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and low back disorder were denied, while the claim of hepatitis C was remanded. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claimed stressors for PTSD and did not reopen his claim for a low back disorder.

The Veteran's chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes at L5-S1 is currently rated as 40 percent disabling on and after June 1, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine does not render him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to address the DeLuca factors and assess functional impairment due to pain.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction, is rated at 60 percent since the date of claim. The Veteran's chronic lumbosacral strain is rated at 20 percent from April 29, 2002, and prior to that date was rated at 10 percent. There is no rating assigned for joint and muscle pain due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for another hearing and will readjudicate the claims after the hearing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, PTSD, cervical muscle spasm, and residuals of a scalp laceration. The claim for service connection for hypertension and fractures is pending but not addressed in this decision.