Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain prior to June 17, 2022, and a rating in excess of 40 percent since June 17, 2022. The case was remanded for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for claudication and urinary incontinence associated with the Veteran's lumbosacral strain, but remanded an increased rating claim for the lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claim for an increased rating for multiple myeloma, to include residuals of vertebral compression fracture, degenerative disc disease, and right leg herpes zoster neuropathy, due to missing private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability was not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, a lumbosacral spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and right leg sciatica as they are not related to active service or any incident of service. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral shin splints did not cause or aggravate these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for left femoral nerve entrapment secondary to a low back disability.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of various disabilities, except for the right and left sciatic nerve disabilities which were granted an effective date of August 18, 2020.

The appeal for revision of the January 2013 rating decision, in which entitlement to service connection for lumbar spine disability was denied, on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE), is dismissed.

The Board remands the claim for further development, including obtaining a formal finding of unavailability of private medical treatment records and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of degenerative disc disease.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to correct a pre-decisional error, specifically, the Agency of Original Jurisdiction's failure to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and a low back disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and lumbosacral left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for a left hip condition.

The Board granted service connection for GERD, lumbar spine muscle strain, and right hip muscle strain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder and right knee disability.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for a mental condition and denied service connection for bilateral foot, right ankle, left ankle, right shin, left shin, left hip, low back, and right shoulder conditions. The left shoulder condition was remanded.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for a low back disability to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome aggravated his low back disability.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine based on an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran withdrew her service connection claims for a lumbar spine condition, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right hip condition. The Board remanded the issues related to the Veteran's left hip disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and thoracolumbar myofascial syndrome as secondary to service-connected right knee, left knee, and/or left hip, and a right ankle disability, to include pain or other symptoms productive of impairment of earning capacity, due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board granted effective dates of June 25, 2020 for the increased ratings and service connection awards.