Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for a lumbar spine disability, right knee patella subluxation, and left knee instability for additional evidence and examination.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded claims for bilateral hearing loss and concussion disability. The back disability claim was dismissed due to untimeliness of the appeal.

The Board remands the claim for a VA cervical spine examination to determine the relationship between the diagnosed degenerative disc disease and the service-connected lumbosacral spine stenosis.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including alopecia, bilateral bunions, wrist and hip disabilities, knee and lower extremity disabilities, depression, back disability, cyst removal of the right hand, plantar fasciitis, and a heart murmur with palpitations, as there was no evidence of current diagnoses or that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board granted restoration of the 20 percent evaluation for the thoracolumbar spine disorder and the 10 percent evaluation for right lower extremity radiculopathy, effective September 12, 2023, as the reduction in these ratings was not supported by evidence.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a back disorder to obtain additional evidence, including SSA and Workers' Compensation records, and an addendum opinion.

The Board denied entitlement to an effective date prior to March 31, 2020 for the grant of service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, traumatic brain injury, thoracolumbar spine disability, and left hip disability.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, as secondary to a service-connected lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis and spondylosis.

The Board denied the claims of entitlement to service connection for a neck disability, a back disability, and a bilateral knee disability due to lack of evidence supporting a current diagnosis or a link to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not show that she was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and remanded claims for further development of evidence related to other conditions including GERD and low back disability.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings, except for the granted increases in disability ratings to 40 percent for degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, effective from November 10, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied service connection for left shoulder disability, left shoulder scar, and low back strain.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, but remanded the claims for headaches, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, lung disorder, erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disorders, bilateral knee disorders, and bilateral ankle disorders.

The Board granted service connection for a stomach disorder (claimed as reoccurring vomiting) and right ankle disability, but denied service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, hemorrhoids, PTSD, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and an initial 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS, while denying service connection for a left shoulder disability and other conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, cervical strain associated with lumbar strain, lumbar strain, and left hip strains.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and denied initial compensable ratings for common headaches, GERD, left knee strain, ganglion cyst of the left wrist, lumbosacral strain, right knee patella tendinitis, and tendinitis of the right wrist.