Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for low back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain an additional VA opinion.

The appeal for service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy was dismissed as the AOJ granted service connection within a September 2024 decision.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and cervical spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals is remanding the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee strain caused or aggravated his low back disability.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and a bilateral knee strain, while denying service connection for fibromyalgia, an undiagnosed Gulf War illness (UGWI), or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI).

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent prior to April 1, 2009, and in excess of 20 percent from April 1, 2009, through April 9, 2012, and in excess of 40 percent from August 10, 2012, for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), as well as a claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) prior to February 11, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for back and neck disabilities as there was no evidence of a chronic disease in service, the conditions did not manifest within one year of separation from service, and medical opinions were against a nexus to service.

The claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine is remanded to provide the Veteran with a VA examination.

The Board remands the claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for lumbosacral strain prior to February 6, 2023, to obtain a retrospective medical report addressing disability between 2013 and 2023.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's thoracolumbar scoliosis with degenerative changes prior to January 25, 2017.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability prior to September 15, 2015.

The Board remands the matter for additional evidentiary development to properly assess the severity of the Veteran's back disability, including a retrospective opinion on range of motion findings prior to April 5, 2022.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a neck and back disability to obtain additional medical opinions that address the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injuries and continuity of symptomatology.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD; a left knee disability; and a lumbar spine disability due to insufficient development of evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding no evidence that the condition was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's service connection for asthma was denied, but a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 11, 2017 was granted.

The Board remands the matter for a VA medical opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, including its relationship to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including right ankle condition, back disorder, neck disorder, and radiculopathies in the upper and lower extremities.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and right wrist condition as there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues for further development.