Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, and remanded claims for respiratory condition, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for lower back, left foot, right foot, right knee, and right hip disabilities as there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence or aggravation of the claimed conditions.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder arthritis and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining claims were remanded to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for GERD and remanded the claims for bilateral ankle, knee, hip, headache, and lower back conditions due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, bilateral achilles tendonitis, gout, diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DMII), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression. The Board denied increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, separate ratings for instability of the knees, a separate rating for residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, and service connection for bilateral leg pain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic sinus disability, respiratory disability due to exposure to asbestos, heart murmur, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and a skin disorder due to an improper concurrent election. The effective dates for the lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathies, and TDIU were denied as they did not meet the criteria for earlier effective dates.

The Board remands the claims for a back disability rating and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities for further development, specifically to determine the severity of the Veteran's low back symptoms while discounting the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's disabilities from May 7, 2013, to August 5, 2019.

The appeal for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disability is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as there was no evidence to support higher ratings or a grant of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus (flat feet), bilateral ankle condition, bilateral knee condition, and lower back condition as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, as well as an earlier effective date for tinnitus.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition secondary to tinnitus and small umbilical hernia, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service or caused by service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, right big toe condition (gout), and hemorrhoids to obtain additional medical opinions regarding their relationship to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent from May 11, 2017 prior to February 29, 2024, and in excess of 40 percent from February 29, 2024 for a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder strain, and osteoarthritis of the left hip status post left hip replacement based on a nexus to the Veteran's military service as a Navy SEAL.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability to obtain a new medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and spondylosis was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee chondromalacia with strain.

The appeal for service connection for various disabilities and an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for a mental health condition is remanded due to missing or incomplete service treatment records.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for a neck and back disability, as well as increased ratings for these disabilities.