Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left shoulder, low back, and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board granted service connection for chronic lumbar strain, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board remands the appeal to obtain a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis for the periods on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and entitlement to TDIU were granted, with the TDIU effective from January 6, 2021.

The Board granted a separate disability rating of 40 percent for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a separate evaluation of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as generalized anxiety disorder with unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board grants the claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise and related to active service.

The Board remands the issues of increased disability ratings for right shoulder, cervical spine, lumbosacral strain with IVDS, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as a TDIU claim, for further development.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to obtain additional medical opinions.

The appeals for service connection for various conditions are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral ankle disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine prior to November 12, 2018, or any increased rating thereafter. The same was found for the left and right ankle sprains.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, effective May 12, 2023, but denied an earlier effective date for the lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD. The claims for service connection for a low back and left hip disability as secondary to service-connected disabilities of the right shoulder and/or left knee were remanded.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error by obtaining a medical opinion addressing the Veteran's assertion that his condition is related to an in-service accident.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and a lumbar spine disability, while remanding claims for right shoulder, right knee, and left knee conditions.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral degenerative arthritis with IVDS, to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board granted a disability rating of 30 percent for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, spondylolisthesis and cervical angina but denied service connection for several other conditions including back disability, radiculopathy, shin splints, major depressive disorder, left shoulder disability, seizure disorder, dysthymic disorder, and vision disability.

The Board denied higher disability ratings for the veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, back disability, and various radiculopathies but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from July 27, 2019.

The Board granted service connection for a right hip disability, but remanded the claims for left hip and low back disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance due to a lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities required regular aid and attendance from another person.

The Board remands the claim for a back condition to include degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease as secondary to his service-connected disabilities due to an inadequate medical opinion.