Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied an increased rating higher than 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability but granted a 20 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy before August 1, 2024.

The Board remands the service connection claims for back, feet, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy conditions due to a lack of adequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for a low back disability and a radicular disability of the bilateral lower extremity to obtain a new VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's lay reports of continuous symptoms since service.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis in the cervical spine, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's condition was incurred during service.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition and remanded the issue of service connection for neck condition due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability, to include DDD and lumbosacral strain, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disorders to obtain new VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for neck injury residuals, to include degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine other than intervertebral disc syndrome and C6-7 disc herniation, as there was no evidence linking the current disability to in-service events or injuries.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, finding it to be directly related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board granted service connection for lower back disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee instability, knee strain, ankle strain, and foot strain.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy and granted a 40 percent initial rating for radiculopathy, right lower extremity, sciatic nerve.

The Board remands the case to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current low back disorder based on a complete and accurate medical history.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include depression and duress, and a right shoulder disability. The claims for back, right knee, and left knee disabilities were remanded.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death prior to a ruling on the extension of time for filing an appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee meniscal tear with shin splints, limitation of flexion; right knee meniscal tear with shin splints; right knee scars; lumbosacral strain; and bilateral pes planus.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding a relationship to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability, finding that improvement was not shown under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.

The appeal regarding a higher disability rating for the low back disability prior to November 2, 2017 was dismissed as it pertained to a ministerial decision implementing a previous Board decision.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical strain, back disability, right hip osteoarthritis, and right shoulder tear due to a need for new VA medical opinions that adequately address the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of symptoms.