Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for lumbar strain, piriformis syndrome, and scoliosis based on the finding that the Veteran's preexisting scoliosis disorder was permanently aggravated as a result of her military service.

The Board remands the claim for increased disability ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis due to inadequate VA examinations and missing non-VA treatment records.

The Board granted an effective date of January 31, 2020, for service connection of lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

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

The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD and 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, but denied service connection for hypertension.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including erectile dysfunction, PTSD, depression, frequent urination, intermetatarsal neuroma right foot, left knee condition, right knee condition, low back strain, shoulder strain, and tinnitus, due to a failure to provide necessary examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings, finding no evidence of entitlement to such benefits prior to the specified dates.

The appeal of the claim for service connection for keratoderma is dismissed as moot. Service connection was granted for several conditions, and effective dates were assigned.

The Board denied a rating greater than 30 percent for keratoconjunctivitis sicca, not specified as Sjogren's, bilateral, blepharochalasis, bilateral (claimed as bilateral eye pain), and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. However, the Board granted service connection for a right knee disorder and a low back disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities in the Veteran's hands, knees, and spine as there was no current disability or symptoms associated with these areas that would result in functional impairment affecting her earning capacity.

The Board denied increased ratings for several service-connected conditions but granted service connection for ADHD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for the Veteran's back disability from April 22, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for left knee pain, right knee pain, a bilateral foot disability, claimed as bilateral foot pain, to include pes planus, an upper back disability, and a low back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability with associated radiculopathies effectively result in loss of use of both feet, thus granting entitlement to an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment.

The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine to obtain a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected condition prior to November 8, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for lower back sprain and left knee tendonitis, as there was no evidence of a current disability. The claims for right knee tendinitis and sleep apnea were remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, effective April 2025.

The Board granted service connection for spinal stenosis of lumbar region status post-surgical fusion, finding that the evidence supports a causal relationship between the Veteran's current disability and an injury incurred during active duty for training or inactive duty for training.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for spondylolisthesis and spondylosis of lumbar spine with stenosis, finding that the reduction in rating was improper.