Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and right ankle disability to obtain new medical opinions that address whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his period of active duty.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the current condition and the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis with lumbar strain prior to September 6, 2022, and a disability rating in excess of 40 percent from that date.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, low back pain, and sciatic radicular pain and paresthesia in the legs.

The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain with low back pain prior to March 13, 2023.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease with lumbar fusion and arthritis.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and denied a compensable disability rating for non-allergic rhinitis. The claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, migraines, right knee, left knee, low back, and right shoulder disabilities were remanded.

The appeal with respect to service connection for PTSD was dismissed due to the grant of service connection by the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) in September 2023. The remaining claims were remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition as secondary to his right knee condition, finding no evidence that the back condition was proximately caused by or aggravated by the service-connected disability.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbosacral strain, and entitlement to service connection for T10-11 disability (age-indeterminate compression fractures of T10 and T11) and T6-8 disability (protrusion/extrusion degeneration and narrowing), as additional evidence is needed.

The Board denied service connection for sensorineural hearing loss and remanded the remaining claims for further development.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's right ankle disability and granted restoration of a 40 percent rating for traumatic brain injury (TBI), while remanding claims for service connection for lower back, left hip, and right hip disabilities.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar osteoarthritis and remanded the claims for service connection for depression, a neck disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The appeal concerning the propriety of the rating reductions for the Veteran's right distal fibula disability and tinea pedis was dismissed, while SMC based on the need for aid and attendance was granted prior to February 20, 2024.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis with scoliosis, thoracolumbar spine and remanded the claims for hemorrhoids and bilateral foot condition.

The veteran withdrew the appeal for both an earlier effective date and increased evaluation for lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis, strain, scoliosis, and facet arthropathy, as well as a separate compensable rating for radiculopathy.

The appeal for service connection for various disabilities was dismissed as the Veteran filed his appeal more than one year after the AOJ's final decision.

The appeal of the claim for service connection for a back condition was dismissed because it had not been adjudicated by the AOJ in the first instance.

The Board granted service connection for lower back disability as secondary to right foot plantar fasciitis and a separate 10 percent rating under DC 7804, but denied increased ratings for the other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disability, and right and left knee disabilities due to the lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.