Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition and granted an initial rating of 30 percent for migraine headaches, while denying increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with thoracolumbar strain, right shoulder strain, left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, and right knee strain.

The veteran withdrew all pending appeals, and the Board dismissed the appeals.

The Board remands the claim for a new opinion on whether the Veteran's lumbosacral strain is secondary to his service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus, left ankle sprain, and/or right ankle sprain.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for a low back condition and the appeals related to duty to assist errors in evaluations of lower extremity radiculopathy, as there were no final decisions on these issues.

The Board denied an increased rating greater than 20 percent for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine based on the current range of motion and functional limitations.

The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis, but denied service connection for a back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral pes planus, and gastrointestinal (GI) disability.

The Board remands the claims for a cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability as further development is needed to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, dismissed the claim for hearing loss in the right ear, and denied a compensable initial rating for hearing loss in the left ear. The claim for dry eye syndrome was remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for right hip, neck, left knee, and left shoulder disabilities but denied service connection for a left hip disability, back disability, PCOS, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee strain and a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis, while denying increased ratings for other conditions.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, and TDIU is denied. Several service connection claims are remanded.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals in the 220823-484193 docket prior to the Board's consideration.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for some conditions and denied an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain, while remanding service connection claims for left and right wrist disorders.

The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, restored a 10 percent rating for right knee instability effective May 12, 2021, and granted an effective date of June 22, 2016, but no earlier, for the award of eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. chapter 35.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including verifying in-service stressors and scheduling examinations.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disability, neuropathy, and bilateral hip and shoulder disabilities, as well as non-compensable ratings for residuals of right inguinal hernia repair and a scar associated with that surgery.

The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, and thoracolumbar strain based on evidence of onset during active duty.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an upper back disability and lower back pain due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, an upper back disability, and a thoracolumbar spine disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active or Reserve service.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities, as well as radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities and an insomnia disorder. However, it denied service connection for instability of the left knee and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.