Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain disability and remanded the claim for a right foot disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, granting TDIU effective May 20, 2022.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a lumbosacral strain, finding the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied increased ratings for various knee and back conditions, sciatica, and femoral nerve impairment, except for a 20 percent rating granted for left and right femoral nerve impairment beginning August 25, 2022.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that none of these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a higher rating for lumbar spine disability and an earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and an effective date of January 25, 2018.

The Board denied increased ratings for thoracolumbar strain and PTSD, as well as an earlier effective date for the 70 percent evaluation of PTSD. The Board remanded service connection for a sleep condition secondary to PTSD.

The Board granted the petitions to readjudicate claims for service connection for a back disorder and left knee disorder, while denying claims for viral conjunctivitis, right eye corneal ulcer, and myopia. The back and left knee disorders were reopened based on new evidence.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing the Veteran's in-service back pain complaint.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition, hypercholesterolemia, an acquired psychiatric condition (PTSD, fear of water, and fear of heights), asthma, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and hypothyroidism.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back, left knee and bilateral wrist disabilities to provide adequate medical examinations and opinions.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right and left knee limitation of extension, and a TDIU, but denied earlier effective dates for sciatic and femoral radiculopathies.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the claims for psychiatric disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), right shoulder disorder, lumbosacral spine disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right knee strain for further development.

The Board granted restoration of the 40 percent rating for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine beginning on April 1, 2021, and remanded other claims for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee, right knee, back (mid/lower back and thoracolumbar spine), left ankle, and right ankle disabilities as they were not shown to be related to the Veteran's military service. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim was remanded.

The Board vacated its August 29, 2024 decisions and remanded the appeal for service connection for lumbar spine disability. The other issues were denied higher ratings.

The appeal for restoration of a 60 percent rating for skin disabilities and the appeals for service connection for back disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, increased evaluation for PTSD, and increased evaluation for dry eye syndrome were dismissed. The appeals for service connection for ED (secondary to PTSD), bilateral foot disability, and cervical spine (neck) disability were remanded.

The Board granted an effective date of December 19, 2016, for the awards of service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, cervicalgia, and chronic migraines and headaches.