Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's application for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of evidence showing service-connected disability that meets the criteria for such benefits.

The veteran's low back disability and discoid lupus erythematosus have been rated based on their severity, with the total rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities being granted.

The Board has granted service connection for lower back, cervical spine (neck), and gastrointestinal disabilities based on evidence showing these conditions started during the veteran's military service.

The veteran's low back disability, characterized by severe disc disease and limited motion, is currently rated at 40 percent. The VA adjudicated the issue of a higher rating for this condition.

The Board granted the veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of his right foot due to service-connected low back disability. The TDIU claim is pending as further evaluation is needed to determine if the veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable without considering non-service connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for lung disability due to exposure to Agent Orange, as new and material evidence was not received. The issue of back disability is referred to the RO for further action.

The Board has denied the reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and back conditions due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the appellant's chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes warrants a 40 percent evaluation, as his range of motion is significantly limited and he experiences pain on motion.

The veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his death.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected mechanical low back pain with degenerative disc disease was denied by the Board. The condition is currently rated at 40 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine and a 50 percent rating for residuals of a fracture of a lumbar vertebra with arthritis, based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the veteran's service-connected disability. The increased rating is effective as of the date of the decision.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for low back strain was denied due to failure to report for VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's migraine headaches disorder, finding that there is a continuity of symptoms from service to the present. The low back disability claim remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings for low back pain and bilateral knee disorders due to lack of timely filing of a substantive appeal. The RO assigned a 10 percent rating for mechanical low back pain effective June 13, 1996.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and a low back injury. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for a low back injury.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disorder. The current medical evidence supports the assertion that the veteran's current back disorders are related to an injury sustained during active duty in 1941.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected mechanical low back pain warrants a 10% disability rating since her separation from active military service.,Similarly, the residuals of a stress fracture of the left knee are rated at 10%, also since her separation from active military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The appellant's statements regarding her injuries in service are considered significant enough to warrant a review of these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify stressors and obtain additional medical records, including from VA facilities where the veteran received treatment. The goal is to determine if the veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for gastric ulcers was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or during the applicable presumption period. The claims for defective hearing and back disorder were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for an increased evaluation for appendectomy scar was also denied.