Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31 was denied because his education and work experience qualified him for suitable employment, despite having a service-connected disability.

The VA has granted a 20% evaluation for arthritis of the lumbar spine due to low back injury, and service connection for degenerative joint disease in multiple joints (hips, cervical and thoracic spine, feet).

The Board denied an original rating greater than 40 percent for Degenerative Disc Disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1, and a rating greater than 30 percent for migraine. The veteran's claims were not granted.

The veteran's appeal involves two issues: whether she is entitled to a higher evaluation for her service-connected lumbosacral strain with arthritis before August 2, 1999 and whether she is entitled to a higher evaluation from that date forward. The case was remanded multiple times due to incomplete development of the evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of degenerative disc disease, finding that the correct facts were not before the adjudicator and that pertinent regulatory or statutory provisions were correctly applied.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% from the initial grant of service connection, and his lumbar spine disability was not found to be related to service.

The veteran's low back strain was not incurred while pursuing vocational rehabilitation training, and his generalized anxiety disorder is currently evaluated at 50 percent disabling.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for residuals of a lumbar spine injury and granted it. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability was denied.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with radiculopathy, currently rated at 40 percent. The Board has determined that additional development and adjudication are needed due to the lack of consideration of DeLuca factors in the previous examination report.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disability is related to an injury sustained during his service, specifically during an appendectomy in January 1952. The case is therefore granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder and additional unspecified disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left ear hearing loss, finding no evidence that his service-connected hearing loss caused or aggravated any of these conditions.

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

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple orthopedic issues, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current lumbar spine disability is as likely as not due to a pre-existing low back strain that was aggravated by his service-connected injury while on INACDUTRA in February 1966. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted a 40 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected multilevel degenerative changes of the lumbar spine with limitation, which is more than the current 20 percent rating.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent each for residuals of lumbosacral strain and post-concussion syndrome with headaches, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial evaluation for his service-connected low back pain with sciatica is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and development.

The veteran's asthma and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine were granted service connection, but neither condition was rated higher than 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for a cardiac disability characterized as sinus bradycardia and awarded an original evaluation of 10 percent for right and left wrist disabilities. Service connection was also established for lumbar, cervical, and thoracic spine disabilities. However, the Board denied claims for service connection for pulmonary and sinusitis disabilities due to lack of current diagnosis.