Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain and acquired psychiatric disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records from his active duty period. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain the Veteran's STRs and military personnel records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability was granted with an effective date of June 3, 2019. The Board found that the earlier effective date prior to June 3, 2019, is not warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes with upper and lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, glaucoma, back disability, and bilateral knee disability, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of July 26, 2022. Effective date for TDIU is set at this date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, back disability, left leg disability, left knee disability, and hypertension. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The claim for a temporary total evaluation based on spinal fusion surgery of the L4-S1 vertebrae is granted. The issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for DJD, lumbosacral spine with S/P spine fusion of L4-S1, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine condition, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection.

An effective date prior to December 1, 2021, for the grant of service connection for adjustment disorder with anxiety is denied.,An effective date prior to December 1, 2021, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the back other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for DDD of the back other than IVDS prior to May 10, 2023, is denied.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and denied service connection for neck, left ankle, right ankle, left trochanteric pain syndrome, OSA, esophageal disability, left wrist, and right knee disabilities. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible statements regarding symptom onset during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error in obtaining missing service treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain these records and conduct any necessary development, including VA examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, rotator cuff tendonitis of the right shoulder, and lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative arthritis. The conditions are all found to be related to his service-connected PTSD, physical training during active duty, or military duties.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for various conditions as the Veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal or opt into the modernized review system.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20% and denied an increased rating higher than this level.,PTSD has been granted a 50% rating effective March 9, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his lumbar spine disability prior to August 5, 2024 and thereafter is denied. The case is remanded due to the need for further development regarding entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity conditions have improved, allowing for a reduction in disability ratings from 20% to 10%. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's service-connection claims for various conditions have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The specific conditions include residuals of removal of an esophagus tumor, hypertension, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, headache disability, low back disability, multiple myeloma, soft tissue sarcoma, and sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy are not related to his active service.,The Board also found that the Veteran's lumbar strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability were not related to his active service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his left and right foot disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The appeals for increased ratings have been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection due to alleged errors in the May 2021 VA examination, including failure to conduct range of motion testing. The AOJ is instructed to obtain an addendum VA medical opinion addressing the severity of the Veteran's back disability throughout the appeal period and a VA examination regarding bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.