Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for his back disability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for aortic insufficiency with atrial fibrillation and hypertension, assigning a 60% evaluation effective from November 19, 1998. The veteran's low back disability is considered well grounded but the right ankle sprain claim is not. The initial evaluation of his heart condition was increased to 60%.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his current disabilities are not well-grounded. His initial compensable evaluations for scars on the chin and left ring finger following excision of a retinacular cyst were also denied.

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

The Board has granted the veteran's TDIU claim with an effective date of August 29, 1990. The issues of service connection for PTSD and a higher initial rating are still pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back condition is at least as likely as not aggravated by his Reserve service, and thus finds it plausible enough to grant service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and assigned a 10 percent evaluation effective March 25, 1993. The veteran's claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 30% rating effective from March 12, 1997. The appellant's earlier claim seeking service connection for PTSD was not well-grounded due to the failure of proper notice regarding the July 1994 denial.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's skin disorder of hands and feet to his service, but reopened the claim for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine. The skin condition is not well-grounded as there is no medical evidence connecting it to service. The back issue remains unresolved due to lack of clear connection.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected chronic lumbar strain, currently rated at 20 percent. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the disability and determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for chronic lumbar strain is well grounded and the Board finds that her current low back disability may be related to injury or disease noted during her active service.

The veteran's arthritis of the right knee, left knee, and right shoulder are all service-connected.,Increased ratings for arthralgia of the right knee and left knee have been granted.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with spasms, disc protrusion at L5-S1, and mild degenerative disc disease at L5-S1. The initial rating of 20% was maintained for residuals of a right patellar fracture. The TDIU claim was also granted.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claim for TDIU due to a lack of recent medical examination and evidence, requiring further development including an additional VA examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for low back disability, right foot disability, and an increased rating for residuals of fracture of the right ring finger. The claim for a compensable rating for the right ring finger was denied due to lack of residual impairment.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder and right lower extremity neuropathy are not proximately due to, nor do they result from, his service-connected residuals of a stress fracture of the right third metatarsal. The noncompensable evaluation for the service-connected residuals of a stress fracture remains in effect.

The veteran's low back disorder is rated at 20 percent, and his right wrist residuals are not compensable.

The Board found no evidence of a current cervical spine or low back disability and concluded that the veteran's service connection claims for these conditions were not well-grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine disability is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right hip disability, and therefore grants secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative disc disease of L3-4 and L5-S1 with mild anterior spurring was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence showing a chronic back disability during service or beyond the applicable presumptive period. The claim was denied.