Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such an exceptional quality as to render her unable to obtain or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board granted an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected lumbar disc disease to 60 percent and found that it is factually ascertainable that he became unemployable as of November 30, 1998, warranting a TDIU effective date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for residuals of a right hand injury and a rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic low back disorder with radiculopathy, finding that there was no evidence of disability warranting these ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for bilateral pes planus, knee disorder, hip disorder, and back disorder. The evidence did not support a higher rating for the veteran's bilateral pes planus.

The Board denied reopening the claim of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral strain due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for glaucoma and a low back disability due to lack of well-grounded claims.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected lumbar syndrome, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded both issues for additional development, including obtaining records from VA Medical Centers and scheduling a hearing. The appeal is now pending again.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the low back warrants a 20 percent disability rating, effective from December 1999.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbosacral strain with central disc herniation at L5-S1 does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for prostatitis, low back disability, and tinnitus in the left ear. The claim for an increased rating for residuals of a left varicocelectomy was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right and left shoulder disabilities warrant a 10 percent disability rating each, while his lumbar spine disability warrants a 10 percent disability rating. The RO increased these ratings in May 1999.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of claims file.

The Board found that the veteran's service connection claims for her claimed disabilities were not well grounded due to a lack of verified in-service injury and duty status.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability. The RO must ensure that all notification and development action required by the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 is completed, including reviewing the claims file to ensure compliance with the new law.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's low back disability as secondary to his left knee disability. The increased evaluation for the left knee disability remains at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hip and back disabilities are a result of his service-connected right knee disability, with aggravation.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a chronic lumbar spine disorder during service and arthritis of the spine was not manifest within one year after service. The Board also determined that his current back problems were not due to an injury in service but instead related to an on-the-job injury many years after service. For post-traumatic stress disorder, the Board found that there is no occupational or social impairment warranting a higher rating than 30 percent.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for recurrent strain of the lumbosacral area.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his PTSD, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine injury residuals, and right ankle fracture. The evidence did not support a higher evaluation under any applicable diagnostic codes.