Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and a left lower extremity nerve condition, to include on a secondary basis.

The Board denied service connection for left foot, cervical spine, left shoulder, and right hip conditions, as well as a higher rating for tinnitus. The claims for service connection for right knee strain, lower back condition, right ankle sprain, right foot post-fracture pain, and PTSD were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee strains, a left shoulder disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, a left wrist disorder, and pes planus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a right shoulder condition, and an increased rating for lumbosacral strain.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and examinations.

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome and denied service connection for pericarditis and pleurisy.

The appeal for service connection for a low back condition, tinnitus, and left and right shoulder conditions was withdrawn by the Veteran before a decision could be made.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back condition due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a back condition, sleep apnea, GERD, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and a lung condition due to duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for a low back, right knee, and right shoulder condition as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's other unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder with major depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder was granted a 70 percent disability rating, but no higher. The lumbosacral strain was denied a higher disability rating.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for left upper radicular extremity, middle, lower, upper as secondary to the service-connected disability of cervical strain degenerative disc disease, intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability due to insufficient evidence of a current disability related to his in-service duties.

The Board denied service connection for tendonitis and remanded the claim for a low back disability due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and their military service.

The Board denied service connection for low back strain and remanded the claims for left knee strain and right knee strain due to missing evidence.

The Board granted a total disability evaluation due to individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period from July 18, 2019, through October 20, 2020, and an effective date of July 18, 2019, but not earlier, for the grant of eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance Under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board granted an effective date of September 14, 1987 for the lumbar spine disability and October 31, 1991 for the right knee disability based on new and relevant service records.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability for further development, specifically requiring an addendum medical opinion that adequately addresses the Veteran's lay statements and the evidence of record.

The Veteran's back brace, used to treat a service-connected disability, tended to cause wear and tear to his shirts in 2021, thus granting an annual clothing allowance for the year.