Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board remands the claim for a low back condition to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining an adequate VA medical opinion.

The Board denied increased ratings for tinnitus, lumbosacral disability, and right knee disability but granted separate 10 percent ratings for instability due to an ACL tear in the knee and residuals of a right knee meniscal tear. The claims for service connection for migraine headaches and cervical spine were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding functional ankylosis and aggravation of obstructive sleep apnea by service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for a low back disability to correct an error in the duty to assist, specifically related to inaccuracies in a VA examination report.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and migraine headaches based on the Veteran's consistent, competent lay reports of in-service onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder with anxious distress, effective February 18, 2022, and granted a 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability from March 6, 2017 to June 4, 2018, and again from July 27, 2021 to May 5, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for the aggravation of GERD by a service-connected psychiatric disability and denied service connection for PTSD. The back disability claim was remanded.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to missing service treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and found that the proper effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain is September 21, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and remanded the claims for low back disability, right foot disability, and right wrist disability.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including psychological disabilities and physical injuries, as the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a link to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use due to several lower extremity disabilities, as no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump with a prosthesis.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis, granted service connection for asthma with an effective date of August 5, 2021, and granted an earlier effective date of July 30, 2021, for the lumbosacral strain rating. The decision also remanded several other claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for spinal stenosis with degenerative disc disease, as the July 1, 2019, date was determined to be the appropriate effective date.

The Board denied service connection for stress disorder, left shoulder condition, and gum disease. The claims for lumbosacral strain, right foot pain, left foot pain, and right shoulder condition were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, and residuals of septoplasty due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and back disorders to request new medical opinions that adequately consider all relevant evidence.

The Board denied service connection for respiratory disability beyond bronchitis with bronchospasm and bilateral hearing loss, but remanded claims for neck, sleep, low back, and right index finger disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain an expert opinion from an orthopedist.