Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for a lumbar spine disorder and left foot disorder to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple disabilities, including a left hip disability, right hip disability, low back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, neck disability, and left shoulder disability, to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and denied initial compensable ratings for rhinitis, tension headaches, and remanded the claim for a lower lumbar strain.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis and DDD, finding that the Veteran's pes planus and plantar fasciitis are a 'but-for' cause of his current conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a January 2022 Rating Decision.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain based on new and relevant evidence that established a link between the condition and the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a low back disability, finding no evidence of an in-service event or association with service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left leg disability and low back disability as further development is needed to provide an adequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left hip, left knee, right knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, and lower back conditions to obtain new VA medical opinions.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and service connection claims for left hip pain and left knee pain were dismissed due to untimely filing. The claim for service connection for GERD was remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for hair loss, hypertension, lower back pain, and asthma due to untimely filings. The appeal regarding a higher rating for PTSD was remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for other specified anxiety disorder and readjudicated the claim of entitlement to service connection for a lower back disability. The claims for service connection for left hip, right hip, neck, left ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities were dismissed or remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including hepatitis C, numbness of upper arms, psychiatric disorder, lung cancer, colon polyps, hemorrhoids, low back pain, and neck condition.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease with lumbar paraspinal tendonitis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy, all of which are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and lumbosacral strain and levoscoliosis, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable disability rating.

The Board denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions but granted a 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied increased ratings for cold weather injuries of the hands, finding no evidence to support higher ratings or service connection.

The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder, asthma, migraines, lumbar strain, bilateral pes planus, and tinnitus, as well as an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 30 percent for migraines.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.