Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

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

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, diagnosed spinal stenosis, arthrodesis status lumbar fusion. The other claims were remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and a 50 percent disability rating for migraine headaches.

The Board remands the claims for further development to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion that reconciles the October 2019 private medical report and the March 2020 VA examination report.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including verification of service records and obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to address deficiencies in the previous examination, including range of motion testing and the effects of medication.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and low back due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, neck disability, and flat foot as the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's active military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and right, left knee, and back disabilities to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for upper respiratory infection and bilateral flatfoot due to a prohibited concurrent election, denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and denied increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and thoracic scoliosis with degenerative disc disease, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and tinnitus.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left knee condition and degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (claimed as a low back condition) to allow for further development of evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for right hand 5th finger sprain and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee degenerative joint disease, and remanded several service connection claims due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board restored the 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain, effective November 1, 2023, as the reduction was not proper.

The veteran withdrew the appeal for all issues, including higher disability evaluations and service connection claims.

The Board denied an increased rating for a thoracolumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, but granted a 10 percent initial disability rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and a separate rating for left lower extremity femoral radiculopathy, finding that his lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The claims for service connection and increased rating are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions that address the issues of secondary causation and aggravation, as well as the impact of medication on the severity of the Veteran's lumbosacral strain.

The appeal for an evaluation in excess of 60 percent from March 1, 2021 for right knee degenerative changes status post right total knee replacement was denied. The issues related to the right hip and low back were remanded for further examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for erectile dysfunction, epilepsy, bowel dysfunction, and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, PTSD, and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease. The issues related to radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, right knee disability, and TDIU were remanded.