Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his lumbar disc disease with sacralization at L5 was granted, and he is currently rated at 40 percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability and remanded it for further development.

The RO granted service connection for residuals of neck and low back injuries, but denied service connection for a right knee disability. The RO also granted noncompensable ratings for the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss.

The VA has already assigned a 30 percent rating for the veteran's disability, and the evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a low back disability. The Board notes that the veteran was not provided with a VA medical examination to determine if his current lumbar spine disability is related to service, and thus remands the case for such an examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back disability, left tympanic membrane perforation, chronic dermatological disability, and chronic respiratory disability due to lack of new and material evidence. The Board also found that these disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's low back strain is rated at 40 percent, and his right and left knee disabilities are each rated at 20 percent. The decision grants these ratings.

The Board has determined that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic sinusitis, cervical and lumbar spine disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and increased evaluations for post concussion syndrome with anxiety symptoms and history of headaches and dizziness, as well as bilateral varicose veins. The Board found no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and compensation for various disabilities, including a bilateral hearing loss disorder, right thigh scar, right leg disability, right ankle disability, back disability, and nervous disorder. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim for a bilateral hearing loss disorder.

The case is being remanded for the appellant to be scheduled for a 'Travel Board' hearing at the Buffalo, New York, Regional Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for hiatal hernia and degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current symptoms. The veteran was granted a 10 percent evaluation for each condition.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for a back disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not related to military service or due to an undiagnosed illness. The subcutaneous nodule of the right costal margin is presumed to have been incurred during active duty.

The veteran's hearing loss disability is not service-connected, but his neuropsychiatric disorder and low back disorder are. The claim for an increased rating for the fracture of the left ankle remains unresolved.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disability related to his active service and has denied service connection for this condition. The veteran's second degree burns of the left arm, left axilla, and right lumbar region are currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, residuals of a stroke (claimed as loss of sight, swollen ankles, and heart damage), arteriosclerotic heart disease, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and back disorder. The appeals were decided on the merits without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board has determined that the appellant's low back disability warrants a 10 percent evaluation, effective from March 24, 1998.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for residuals of gunshot wound, chest with splenectomy; costochondritis; and chronic low back pain. The evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 10 percent for the service-connected seborrheic dermatitis, effective from when the claim was filed. The low back pain with degenerative disc disease remains at its current level.

The Board has determined that the veteran's recurrent lumbosacral strain is related to active military service, warranting service connection. The left knee disability does not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation under applicable diagnostic codes.