Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for multiple conditions, including left and right hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for left and right leg shin splints but denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain, as well as service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, radicular pain and paresthesia of the left upper extremity, chronic cervicothoracic pain, and left knee pain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder to correct pre-decisional errors in fulfilling its duty to assist the appellant with the development of her claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection for any of the conditions appealed.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal for service connection for a left knee condition, back condition, and bilateral hearing loss due to procedural issues and untimeliness.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that it had its onset during active duty service.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, thoracic segmental dysfunction, and spondylosis due to a lack of actual improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, denied compensable ratings for external hemorrhoids and sinusitis, granted service connection for migraine headaches secondary to sinusitis, and granted service connection for left foot and left shoulder conditions. The claims for increased ratings for urethral stricture, lumbosacral strain, and ulnar neuropathy were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for an anxiety/depression condition and a 40 percent rating for the lumbosacral strain, while remanding the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for lumbosacral spondylosis with intervertebral disc syndrome and left leg radiculopathy due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating and service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and an inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 25, 2021, due to his service-connected disabilities. The appeal for increased ratings and proposed decreases in evaluations for the back and lower extremity radiculopathies were denied.

The Board denied service connection for low back pain, left and right sciatic radicular pain and paresthesia of the legs, and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to a lack of evidence supporting a current disability related to or aggravated by service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for back condition, left elbow, neck condition, and right shoulder as further development is needed.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected lumbar disc disease process disability alone from March 30, 2020, and special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114 (s) based on housebound status from July 11, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a lumbar spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The appeal for service connection for skin, back, left knee, and right knee disabilities has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service connection for erectile dysfunction on a direct basis was granted effective September 27, 2019, and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of a creative organ was also granted from the same date.

The appeal of the grant of service connection for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. � 17 for contusion of penis, lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower lumbar damage/injury), radiculopathy, left lower extremity, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for back disability, as the earliest possible date was September 26, 2020.