Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The appeal is pending due to the maximum schedular rating not being assigned.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder and granted service connection for GERD, finding that the veteran's stomach disorder is related to his service-connected left hip disability. The rating for the left hip disability remains at 80%.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for knee, hip, and low back disorders due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions are related to her military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral degenerative disc and joint disease with history of radiculopathy is being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the impact of his service-connected disability versus the automobile accident.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease. The RO granted service connection for multiple foot disorders, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, tinnitus, and chronic gastritis, but did not address whether these conditions alone render the veteran unemployable.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine based on new and material evidence. The right knee disorder and back injury claims are being remanded to the RO for further development, while the left ankle sprain rating remains unchanged.

The veteran's hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, and the claim for increased rating was denied. The lumbosacral strain disability remains at its current 20% evaluation.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied for lichen planus, periodontal disease, and degenerative joint disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine as being due to undiagnosed illness. The claim for fibromyalgia was granted.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected low back disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation, as it did not result in muscle spasm on extreme forward bending, moderate limitation of motion, or other functional impairment sufficient to warrant an increased rating.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia of the left knee is addressed in the Remand portion of this decision.

The veteran's skin graft, left lateral arm, numbness musculocutaneous nerve distribution and lumbosacral strain have been rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted for either condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there is no evidence of such a condition during his active duty and no continuity of symptoms post-service. The first competent medical evidence of arthritis at the L5-S1 level was dated more than 15 years after his discharge from active military duty.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD was granted, with the effective date set at October 29, 1999. The rating for lumbosacral strain remains unchanged.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran withdrew his appeal before a decision was made.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic back disability related to service and denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected low back disorder is being remanded due to the need for a more current VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical spine and low back disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or other factors.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied, and the case is being remanded to the RO for further action.