Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for back, neck, and shoulder disabilities as they were not shown to be related to service or any incident of service origin.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and increased evaluations for his right knee and left knee disabilities, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of the claim as he is no longer alive.

The Board denied service connection for hemorrhoids and low back disability (claimed as secondary to bilateral pes planus). The appellant's claims are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board found that the appellant's back disability, including degenerative disc disease, arthritis, radiculopathy, and ankylosing spondylitis, was not incurred or aggravated by service. The congenital anomaly of the lumbosacral spine with asymmetric facet joints at L5-S1 with sclerosis was determined to be a defect rather than a disease, and thus not subject to service connection.

The veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a back disorder was denied. The decision also noted that the veteran withdrew his appeal for other issues, such as lipoma excision of the back and deviated nasal septum.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected lumbar sprain is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records from VA and private physicians.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection for a low back disability and for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a fracture of the left hip.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, but granted a higher rating effective from August 22, 1994. The claim for an earlier effective date for the heart disability was also denied.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for a low back disability. The veteran's contentions were deemed repetitive of previous assertions, and no medical nexus between his current back disability and service was established.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a low back/hip disorder being incurred or aggravated by service, and thus service connection for this condition cannot be established. The veteran's reactive arthritis/Reiter's syndrome does not meet the criteria for an initial rating exceeding zero percent.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for hiatal hernia and duodenitis, finding that his symptoms warrant a rating of 10 percent. The issue of service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine was reopened due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain, finding that the veteran's symptoms more nearly approximate moderate functional loss with decreased endurance. The left knee issue remains unresolved.

The Board granted service connection for dysthymic disorder and increased the evaluation of lumbosacral strain to 40 percent, but denied an increase in the evaluation of hypertension.

The Board found that the appellant's current symptoms are not related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain and denied a compensable disability rating for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence linking his current back disorder to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the veteran had submitted new and material evidence to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disorder. However, after reviewing all relevant records, including VA and private medical examinations and treatment notes, the Board concluded that there was no competent clinical evidence linking current low back disability to an incident or injury during service. The Board also noted that arthritis of the low back is first shown many years after service and is unrelated to any incident or injury of service.

The veteran's low back strain is currently rated at 20 percent, which reflects moderate impairment. The RO found that the current rating adequately addresses his disability.

The Board granted a 40% evaluation for the veteran's low back disorder and denied service connection for reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The extension of total disability based on convalescence was also granted.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and his degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 10 percent. Both conditions are currently evaluated based on their direct service connection without any presumption or secondary linkage.