Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied an increased rating in excess of 40 percent for the back disability from June 8, 2023, and granted TDIU prior to November 30, 2012.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder for further development, specifically to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is caused or aggravated by his now service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities, as well as an earlier effective date for TDIU benefits.

The Board granted an effective date of January 29, 2019, for the award of service connection for scar of the left lower quadrant of abdomen and a 70 percent rating for PTSD since August 28, 2019. The claims for increased ratings were denied.

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.

The Veteran withdrew her claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disability, left hip disability and left knee disability.

The appeal for service connection and evaluation of several conditions, including left wrist condition, respiratory issues, left knee condition, PTSD, and earlier effective dates, was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical disorder and a low back disorder, both diagnosed as degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, and degenerative arthritis.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for a special home adaptation and specially adapted housing due to the need for additional development, specifically an examination to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities as they relate to loss of use of the extremities.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus, left patella traumatic arthritis, right patella traumatic arthritis, and degenerative joint disease of the right ankle.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, granting a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a total disability rating from August 22, 2019, and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from September 30, 2019. The Veteran is also granted individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities from December 1, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, thus granting special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral knee and foot disorders, as well as a lumbar spine disorder, to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and remanded the claim for a low back condition due to insufficient evidence.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of a TDIU was denied.

The Board granted service connection for left knee condition, an acquired psychiatric disorder diagnosed as somatic symptom disorder, and increased the initial rating for lumbosacral spine arthritis to 40 percent from October 22, 2020.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for thoracolumbar spine strain and cervical spine degenerative disc disease, as they were not filed within one year of the initial denial decisions.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity, a back disorder, and an initial rating greater than 10 percent for a right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain with laxity. However, it granted a 60 percent rating for dermographism with manifestations of chronic cholinergic urticaria from November 29, 2018, and a 50 percent initial rating for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lower back condition and tinnitus to correct pre-decision duty-to-assist errors.