Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board finds that the veteran's low back pain is related to his service-connected disability of residuals injury right knee with traumatic arthritis, and thus grants secondary service connection for the low back pain.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease, with history of myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafts, prior to May 13, 1999, was denied. The RO found that the current 30 percent evaluation adequately reflects the severity of the veteran's disability.

The veteran's claim for compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a left shoulder disorder, a low back disorder, a disorder of the middle back, and a neck disorder resulting from VA treatment in December 1985 is being remanded due to new legal requirements.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 40 percent for the veteran's service-connected low back pain with L5 radicular pain, effective from February 24, 1999.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability due to new and material evidence submitted in 1999. The case is now on remand for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination.

The VA has granted the requested disability evaluations for the veteran's conditions, with some changes in ratings and effective dates.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the residuals of a lumbar spine injury and a 10 percent rating for the residuals of a tongue laceration, both effective from October 19, 1994. The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's low back disability, finding that his current condition is related to injuries sustained during service and subsequent surgery.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000. The claims for service connection and increased evaluation will be reconsidered.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, back disability, and hypertension. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen previously denied claims for these conditions.

The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities, including a low back disorder, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the left leg, and bilateral ankle disorders, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability evaluation for pension purposes as his combined rating is 40 percent.

The veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine does not cause any limitation of motion.,The veteran has been granted the maximum schedular rating available for his degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, and thus an increased rating claim must be denied based on a lack of entitlement under the law.,The veteran's spondylosis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine have also been granted the maximum schedular rating available, resulting in a denial of his increased rating claim for this condition.,There is no competent medical evidence indicating that the veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is related to his service-connected lumbosacral spine disorder.,The combined disability rating of 70 percent assigned from June 19, 1997 was correctly calculated by the M&ROC using the combined ratings table.,The criteria for a total rating for compensation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities have been met.

The Board denied increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), as well as service connection for heart disease, emphysema, anxiety and depression, arthritis of joints, and a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain and assigned noncompensable ratings to his service-connected chronic sprain of the right hip and left hip.

The veteran's low back and psychiatric disabilities were evaluated, but the evaluations did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The service-connected conditions are considered to be of direct service origin.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are denied. The neck disability is secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain, while basal cell carcinoma of the right forehead is presumed due to fuel exposure during active service.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, lumbosacral strain, and gastroenteritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a significant change in the law and the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for an examination of the veteran's low back disability.

The veteran's low back disability has been rated at 60 percent since July 12, 1995. The effective date for this rating is July 12, 1995.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of a heart murmur due to an inadequate substantive appeal. The veteran's herpes simplex virus of the chin is rated at 10 percent, and his lumbosacral compression fracture L4 with deformity L3-4 with moderate disc narrowing L5-S1 warrants a rating in excess of 10 percent.