Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis secondary to plantar fasciitis due to inadequate medical opinions regarding aggravation.

The Board denied increased ratings for cervical and thoracolumbar spine strains, TMJ disorder, dermatitis of the face, right knee chondromalacia grade II with patellar tendonitis, medial meniscal derangement, and Baker's cyst, and bilateral hearing loss. However, service connection was granted for radicular pain paresthesia of the right upper extremity.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for residuals of lumbar fusion and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, depressive disorder, and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. It granted a 20% disability rating for the left and right leg disabilities but denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The appeals for service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability were dismissed due to procedural defects.

The Board remands the claims for further development and evidence collection, as some relevant private treatment records have not been obtained.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are related to a traumatic motor vehicle accident during active duty service.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and remanded the issue of service connection for a lumbar spine condition.

The Board remands the matter for a full and adequate VA opinion to address the Veteran's in-service back injuries and stressors.

The Board granted an increased rating of 40 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement, but remanded several other claims including service connection for a cervical spine condition, upper extremity radiculopathies, hearing loss, thrombocytopenia, and TDIU.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine. The rating for the Veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the right wrist/arm was restored to 20 percent effective June 1, 2024.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings and remanded certain issues for further development.

The Board granted an initial 40 percent rating for incomplete paralysis of the left sciatic nerve and denied a higher rating, while remanding service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability but denied service connection for a right upper extremity burn and remanded the issue of service connection for a left ankle disability.

The Board remands the claims for a back condition and greater trochanteric pain syndrome (lateral hip pain) to ensure that due process is followed and there is a complete record upon which to decide the Veteran's claims.

The Board granted an initial 100 percent disability rating for Ileum cancer and dismissed several other claims, including those related to PTSD, asthma, TDIU, and DEA.

The Board remands the claims for higher ratings of the Veteran's service-connected low back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities due to a predecisional duty to assist error in not providing the Veteran's attorney with the VA examiner's training history and credentials.

The Board granted service connection for tinea pedis, left foot, and generalized anxiety disorder, while denying increased ratings for knee conditions and other disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for timely filing of their requests to appeal various rating decisions, including those related to service connection and increased ratings for multiple conditions.

The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for degenerative disc disease, thoracic spine with ankylosing spondylitis from August 18, 2015.