Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for flatfoot, pes planus, left; flatfoot, pes planus, right; and lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes. The Board also granted an initial 20 percent rating for thoracolumbar strain effective from February 8, 2010.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left shoulder condition, and right knee condition was dismissed due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, radiculopathy of the left and right upper extremities, but denied service connection for left knee strain with shin splints, thoracolumbar strain with IVDS, left shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis, right shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis with calcific tendinitis, and tinnitus.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's reports of in-service back injuries and post-service continuity of symptoms.

The Board dismissed the appeals for entitlement to a rating more than 40 percent disabling for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, and for a rating more than 20 percent disabling for right lower extremity radicopathy, sciatic.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease and thoracic spine anterior wedge compression, right hip condition, left hip condition, and right trapezius strain, resolved and transient right sided numbness of uncertain etiology as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA medical opinion to determine whether the Veteran's low back disability had its onset in or was incurred during service.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, left shoulder disability, and right ankle disability based on the evidence being in approximate balance regarding their etiological relationship to active-duty service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle strain and an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for an anxiety disorder, but remanded the claims for a low back disability and TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left and right knee disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, and a back disability due to the lack of evidence showing current diagnoses or functional impairment in earning capacity.

The veteran withdrew the appeal, and there are no allegations of error for appellate consideration.

The Board granted service connection for depression and remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, left sciatic radicular pain, and right sciatic radicular pain. The claim for tinnitus was denied.

The Board granted an initial 70 percent rating for PTSD with TBI, a 20 percent rating effective July 13, 2023 for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and thoracic disc degeneration, and a separate 10 percent rating effective July 13, 2023 for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The Board denied higher ratings for cervical spine conditions, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and other conditions including hearing loss, fractured finger, and deviated nasal septum, while remanding two issues for further consideration.

The Board granted service connection for a back condition and denied it for a right shoulder condition. The other issues, including the right knee, hypertension, OSA, and right elbow conditions, were remanded.

The appeal seeking service connection for a low back condition as secondary to degenerative joint disease was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election of review options.

The Board granted an effective date of June 1, 1996, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine because the Veteran did not receive notice of the initial denial in 1996 and his claim remained pending.

The Board granted an effective date of June 29, 1971, for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and granted increased ratings for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, right upper extremity radiculopathy (upper radicular group), and left upper extremity radiculopathy (upper radicular group).

The Veteran's dry eye syndrome is granted service connection due to an in-service injury. Several other claims for service connection are remanded.