Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeal for residuals of stress fractures of both heels due to withdrawal. The veteran's thoracolumbar strain and right shoulder disability have been denied as not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's lumbosacral strain and denied any increase in rating for his left knee disorder.

The case is being remanded for a travel board hearing and further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a hearing before a member of the Board at the RO. The veteran's representative requests that the appeal be remanded again to complete this action.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbosacral strain and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and fracture of the right foot, both claimed as residuals of contused coccyx during active military service. The Board found that there was no legal merit or entitlement under law to these claims.

The Board denied the claims of service connection for a left elbow disorder, low back disorder, and epigastric disorder due to lack of evidence linking post-service findings to in-service findings.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected lumbar spine disorder, finding that the disability picture more nearly approximates a 20 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right shoulder bursitis and lumbar strain are not well grounded, as there is no evidence of an exceptional or unusual disability picture with marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization. The RO's decisions to deny service connection for right and left knee disabilities were not appealed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of his spine and a temporary total convalescent rating based on laminectomy surgery performed in June 1995. The claim for an increased disability rating for lumbosacral strain was also denied as the highest possible schedular evaluation has been assigned.

The Board found no competent medical evidence associating the veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome with his military service or to his service-connected lumbosacral strain, thus denying service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed without prejudice.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for lumbar stenosis, status post L5-S1 decompression is not well-grounded and therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and disability ratings, finding that he did not submit timely substantive appeals or NODs on several issues. The appeal was dismissed.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for the veteran's service-connected chronic low back strain, which is the highest schedular evaluation available under Diagnostic Code 5295.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine and low back disabilities were denied. His claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was also addressed, but not resolved in this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, hips, and knees are well grounded claims. The RO is directed to obtain any additional medical records and schedule the veteran for a VA examination to determine if his current arthritis is related to his parachute jumps during World War II.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed because his Substantive Appeal did not contain any allegations of errors of fact or law regarding the June 1997 rating decision.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, a nervous disorder, and hepatitis. The decision is based on the lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and his military service.