Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, and higher ratings for various disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and left knee strain and recurrent left knee patellar dislocation, but denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right hand disability, bilateral ankle disability, residuals of heat stroke, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The lower back condition and headaches were remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's focal motor seizures and tremors, which were related to his ACDUTRA service at Camp Lejeune. The claims for malignant degenerative disc disease, systemic sclerosis, and gadolinium-induced nephrogenic systemic are remanded for further examination.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding it to be etiologically related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to the lack of a current diagnosis, and remanded the claim for a back condition for further development.

The Board remands the claims for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including obtaining additional medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent disabling for low back disability.

The appeal for increased ratings for back and cervical spine disabilities was dismissed as a matter of law.

The appeal is remanded to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error by the Agency of Original Jurisdiction before the September 2020 rating decision on appeal was issued.

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to address the severity of the appellant's service-connected right knee, lumbar spine, and right-hand disabilities during relevant periods on appeal.

The Board remands the claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a low back disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board remands the claims for earlier effective dates of 40 percent ratings for back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy to correct a duty to assist error related to missing VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for middle back condition, to include dislocated ribs, for a new VA examination and opinion.

The Board remands the claim for a lower back disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically scheduling another VA examination.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, effective from May 12, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, finding that there was no evidence of worsening or increase in severity within the year prior to April 9, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for low back degenerative disc disease (DDD) with spondylosis, a post-surgical low back scar, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities. It also granted an increased rating of 30 percent for cervical spine disc protrusions.