Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's lumbar spine laminectomy with fusion is rated at 10 percent, and he has a separate rating of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy. His left hip osteoarthritis and early degenerative arthritis of the right knee are each rated at 10 percent. Bilateral cataracts with dry eye syndrome and punctuate keratitis are rated at 0 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any current diagnoses of headaches, TMJ, sleep disorders, low back pain, or liver disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected facial and neck scarring, skull fracture residuals, and compression fractures of D12 and L1 with spondylosis and hip complaints. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for a medical opinion. The veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability is pending.

The veteran's appeal for increased ratings and new evaluations was denied. The RO maintained the current disability ratings for her lumbar degenerative disc disease and chronic bronchitis, except for a change in the effective date of the 40 percent rating for the lumbar spine.

The Board granted a TDIU effective September 10, 1993 based on the veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and right inguinal hernia, but granted service connection for the veteran's post-right inguinal hernia repair.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to December 7, 2005, have resulted in obvious disruption of his industrial capacity and warrant a separate 10% evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder is not related to his active service, including as due to herbicide exposure. The evidence does not support presumptive service connection for a low back disorder.

The Board found that arthritis of the lumbar spine was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back disability warrants a 10 percent rating prior to October 31, 2007 and a 20 percent rating from October 31, 2007.

The Board has determined that the veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's dorsolumbar paravertebral myositis warranted a rating of 10 percent, effective from the date of the December 2003 decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed low back and bilateral shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material to reopen the claim of service connection for a lower back condition. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected hemorrhoids was denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and hepatitis. The Board found that there was no evidence of a current disability, in-service occurrence or aggravation, or nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded this case for a Travel Board hearing at the RO.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, finding that low back symptoms during active duty did not result in a chronic disorder and were not caused by injury during INACDUTRA or secondary to service-connected residuals of cervical discectomy.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a neurological examination to determine if there are separate ratable neurological manifestations associated with the veteran's service-connected low back disability.

The veteran's sinusitis is not manifested by incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, and the scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The veteran's residual scar from right lumbar area cyst excision is rated as noncompensably disabling.