Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's condition did not have its onset during his first period of active duty and was not aggravated during his second period of active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right and left knee disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, require care and assistance on a regular basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, while the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and ratings for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), migraines, a neck condition, and cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity were denied.

The Board remands the claims for higher initial disability ratings and entitlement to TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded claims for low back pain and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and tinnitus. The claim for a right eye condition was denied.

The Board granted service connection for left hip, right hip, back, and sleep apnea disabilities, as well as an initial rating of 30 percent for GERD.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating for anxiety disorder, low back disability, and TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the case for further development and readjudication, including an examination to determine the current nature and severity of the cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities and any associated radiculopathies, as well as the etiology of headaches.

The Board granted direct service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, an increased evaluation of 40 percent for the low back condition, and an initial evaluation of 20 percent for the left ankle condition.

The claims for service connection for lumbar spine, right foot, right ankle, bilateral knee, and acquired psychiatric disorders are remanded for readjudication based on new evidence.

The Board granted restoration of the 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability from August 1, 2020, up to July 14, 2022. The claims for earlier effective dates for the other conditions were denied.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of lumbar scars and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied an earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Board also denied a compensable rating for lumbar scars and higher ratings for both lower extremity radiculopathies and the lumbar spine disability, while granting TDIU from December 21, 2011.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and a higher initial rating for back disability.

The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a back disability and service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the back disability due to duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability as there is no credible evidence linking the condition to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including new examinations and additional documentation to address deficiencies in previous evaluations.

The Board remands the matter for additional development to ensure compliance with previous remand directives regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition as there was no evidence of an in-service injury, disease, or event that caused the condition and no medical nexus between the current disability and active service.

The Board remands all service connection claims for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and medical opinions.