The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for postoperative degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and finds that it was not caused by his time in service. As a result, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's postoperative degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine presents an exceptional disability picture, warranting referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension for consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's claim for initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, with a rating of 10 percent. The claims for reopening service connection for postoperative degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left shoulder disorder have also been granted. Service connection for vertigo is denied. The right hip arthritis claim remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision. The right knee arthritis and right ankle disorders are both rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.