Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10 percent evaluation of lumbar spine osteopenia, finding no evidence of an increase in disability within one year prior to March 22, 2021.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy as it has not manifested in moderately severe incomplete paralysis.

The Board denied service connection for fatigue, bilateral hearing loss, low back, musculoskeletal shoulder, musculoskeletal knee, bilateral leg, and testicular conditions due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and remanded claims for an increased rating for lumbar spine disability and TDIU.

The Board denied readjudication of the claim for service connection for a right knee condition and remanded claims for service connection for cervical spine, left knee, and thoracolumbar spine conditions.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities, and therefore, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of a chronic disability of the thoracolumbar spine to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and remanded several other claims, including those for a neck disorder, right upper extremity nerve disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, TDIU, lumbar spine disorder, right foot disorder, and left hip disorder.

The Board granted service connection for a right forehead scar and remanded the claims for service connection of various other disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim.

The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU rating to refer it to the Director of the Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran was granted a 50 percent rating for headaches associated with post-concussive syndrome from January 1, 2004, to February 7, 2025, and a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral spine strain from March 1, 2018, to May 21, 2023.

The Board remands the claim for an addendum medical opinion that fully considers the combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including any side effects from medications.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for TMJ disorder prior to March 23, 2020, and a 50 percent rating from that date forward. The decision also remanded issues related to secondary service connection.

The appeal for service connection for a low back disability was dismissed due to the Veteran's successful opt-in to the modernized review system under the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, and service connection for a right shoulder disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due solely to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the statutory housebound rate.

The Board denied service connection for gout and erectile dysfunction, remanded claims for service connection for Hepatitis C, hypertension, liver cancer, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis of the liver, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, headaches, memory loss, and the Veteran's cause of death, and referred claims for service connection for headaches, memory loss, and the Veteran's cause of death to the RO.

The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease but denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar spine degenerative disc/joint disease and a TDIU prior to April 16, 2016.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from September 22, 2007 to December 18, 2015 due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted an effective date of January 11, 2006 for the grant of service connection for high blood pressure (hypertension) and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction.