Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury, left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability. The Board also granted an initial 50 percent evaluation from February 1, 2019 to October 31, 2021 for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but denied a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic right shoulder pain disability, and remanded claims for left wrist, left hip, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board dismissed the attempted appeals of April 2019, October 2020, November 2020, and December 2020 rating decisions due to untimely notice of disagreement (NOD) filings.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board granted readjudication of the previously denied claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and right shoulder strain, based on new and relevant evidence. The claims were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine disorders for further development, including VA examinations.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for thoracic and lumbar spine disabilities, but remanded the claims for cervical spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain based on the evidence showing forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine at 35 degrees.

The Board granted service connection for a back, right hip, right knee, and GERD disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for a low back condition and right knee condition, as the current evidence is inadequate to determine whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's service or secondary to his service-connected PTSD with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and higher ratings for his lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for a lower spine disability, to include lumbar arthritis, and dismissed the appeals for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral flatfoot, erectile dysfunction, SMC based on loss of use of creative organ, and remanded an issue related to an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board granted service connection for a vertical left paralumbar area scar and denied service connection for a back disability other than the left paralumbar area scar, as well as denying a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The veteran withdrew the appeal for an increased rating of lumbar strain with spondylitis, and the Board has dismissed the case.

The Board granted an effective date of February 25, 2020, for a 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and January 20, 2017, for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), but denied an earlier effective date than March 6, 2020, for a 40 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

The Board granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and degenerative disc disease at C5-C6, resolving reasonable doubts in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and denied it for a right foot disability, with the right knee disability remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for low back pain to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the claim for a low back condition to obtain an addendum opinion based on accurate facts.