Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The claims for a cervical spine condition and lumbar spine condition were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and a thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are causally or etiologically due to his time in service.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU for the period from May 25, 2016 to January 18, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral knee and lumbar spine conditions due to inadequate VA opinions.

The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.

The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable disability rating for right inguinal hernia surgery and service connection for a low back disability, as well as remanded the claims for service connection for GERD and entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension.

The Veteran was granted a 40% rating for his low back condition and a 60% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, while other claims were denied.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.

The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral knee strain, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board denied an initial increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and tendinitis, cervical spine spondylosis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar scoliosis and lumbar spine degenerative changes.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right leg sciatica with radiculopathy pain and paresthesia, but denied increased ratings for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, left wrist limitation of motion with ganglion cyst, and service connection for headaches, unspecified. Several issues were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) housebound status, but dismissed the claims for initial ratings in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation due to service-connected lumbar spinal stenosis from March 25, 2024.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The appeal for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, claimed as broken neck, was dismissed because the claim had already been granted by the agency of original jurisdiction in June 2025.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the claims for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and low back condition.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.