Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's current back disability and her military service, specifically the in-service acute back pain.

The reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for lumbosacral degenerative arthritis from 40 percent to 20 percent was improper, and his rating is restored to 40 percent effective June 1, 2024.

The Veteran's requests for increased ratings for his ankle and thoracolumbar spine disabilities were denied. The left and right ankle disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, while the thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent prior to October 27, 2016, and 40 percent effective June 1, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and low back disabilities due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran contends his current conditions are related to service, but the VA examiners found no nexus between his in-service complaints and current diagnoses.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple lower extremity disabilities has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease from September 1, 2023 to November 18, 2023. The Veteran's residual scar status post lumbar discectomy is rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's left ankle scars are currently assigned a noncompensable evaluation, and the appeal for an initial compensable evaluation is denied.,The effective dates for service connection of right knee disorder and left ankle scar, low back disorder, and right lower extremity radiculopathy are all denied as they cannot be earlier than May 12, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to her authorized representative requesting the withdrawal of all issues in this case.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease have been granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent, effective June 14, 2022.

The Board has denied service connection for a left knee disability and remanded the issues of right knee and lumbosacral spine disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the appeal for service connection of mechanical low back pain, finding no current disability and concluding that the March 1999 rating decision was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective October 24, 2011 due to service-connected depression. He is also granted SMC from January 24, 2025 based on the combined rating of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain missing treatment records and provide a VA clinician with an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's neck and lower back conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, is granted as service connected. The Board found that the Veteran's statements about neck pain in service and continuing since service separation constitute competent and credible evidence that his condition began in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the condition and that any current symptoms are not related to service.

The Veteran's TDIU is granted effective January 1, 2020, as the day after his last day of employment. The Board finds that he has been unable to secure and maintain substantial gainful employment due to combined effects of PTSD and lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, headache disability, eyebrow scar, back disorder, and right knee disorder. The AOJ will need to obtain additional medical opinions and consider any relevant evidence.