Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for revision of an April 1996 rating decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) regarding initial ratings for depression, residuals of palatopharyngoplasty, and service connection for a lower back condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a dental disability to include missing teeth, and a recurrent gum disability. The claims for Type II diabetes mellitus, recurrent fatigue, lumbosacral spine, left lower extremity, ankle neurological, foot, joint, and bone disabilities were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and increased ratings of 40% but not higher for lumbosacral strain, urethritis, and depression.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded claims for obstructive sleep apnea and a low back disability, while denying service connection for bilateral keratoconus and eczema.

The appeal for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and increased ratings for PTSD and a lumbar spine disability must be dismissed as a matter of law. However, the Veteran is granted a TDIU effective October 17, 2023.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and Paget's disease.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and low back pain to schedule appropriate VA examinations.

The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative disc disease (DDD) prior to April 18, 2024, but the claims for increased ratings for DDD from that date and for right ankle disability were denied.

The Board granted service connection for depression, left knee condition, and arthritis of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for a secondary service connection for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome and spondylolisthesis due to the Veteran's right knee disability, as the previous medical opinions were found inadequate.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine condition and remanded the claims for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a urinary condition, granted an initial 10 percent rating for posterior and anterior lumbar spine scars, and granted an initial 40 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to ensure an adequate medical opinion is obtained.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's back and lower extremity disabilities, but granted a TDIU from October 1, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, to include degenerative arthritis. The other issues are remanded.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's benign cyst left greater tubercle of the humerus and remanded claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition and a compensable rating for tinea pedis.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding it related to an in-service injury. The heart condition issue was remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent and a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the issues of an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar strain and entitlement to TDIU prior to July 3, 2014 for further development.