Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's left elbow degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, and eczema are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is also granted for right ankle degenerative joint disease with a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease and associated right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU on this basis.

The appeal of the deferred claim for entitlement to service connection for sinusitis is dismissed. The claims for right hip greater trochanteric, left shoulder impingement syndrome, and thoracolumbar spine strain are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, lumbosacral strain, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of injury to his right ankle.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spondylosis, DDD (back disability), and right knee arthritis have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 23, 2009, to August 27, 2014.

The Veteran's low back disability with IVDS is currently rated at 20 percent, which meets the criteria for a rating of 20 percent.,The Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathies are both currently rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and effective dates have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right knee disability was denied. Separate ratings of 10 percent were granted for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, effective from April 6, 2020. The appeals for permanent ratings of low back, cervical spine, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder strain, lumbar spine condition, cervical spine condition, rib(s) condition, and TBI have been dismissed.,The Veteran's attempts to appeal the July 2023 and June 2024 rating decisions were premature as these actions did not constitute final agency decisions.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals, including the ones for increased ratings of degenerative disk disease and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis, OSA, left thumb pain, left index finger pain, left long finger pain, and left ring and little finger pain are all rated at 50 percent. The lumbar spine disability is also rated at 10 percent.

The Board dismissed the appeal because a concurrent election for review was made, which is not allowed. The Veteran's claim of service connection for cervical strain with degenerative disc disease cannot be reviewed by the Board.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain effective December 3, 2024. However, it has also remanded the issue of whether a higher rating is warranted due to lack of consideration of the Veteran's chiropractor treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hearing loss, back disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, right leg disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, while his other disabilities are not linked to service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea were not found to warrant increased ratings or service connection, respectively.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for various joint and headache disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports that did not consider all of the Veteran's symptomology.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral knee strain, finding the evidence against a nexus to service.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted effective from April 8, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to work due to his lumbar myositis starting in April 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is eligible for enrollment in the PCAFC program due to his need for personal care services and supervision based on his medical conditions, including cognitive impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence supporting the conditions prior to August 4, 2021.