Back / lumbar spine — all decisions

The Board granted service connection for a nosebleed disability, to include epistaxis, and degenerative disc disease to include intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), but denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right middle trigger finger.

The Board granted the petitions to readjudicate claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disability, while denying service connection for lower back, kidney, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied it for left ear hearing loss, with an effective date of June 14, 2023, for the award of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and degenerative disc disease (DDD) and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as there was no evidence to support a nexus between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, as a new VA examination is necessary to assess the current severity of the condition.

The Board granted restoration of a 40 percent rating for lumbar strain, effective November 25, 2024, and denied an increased rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, liver abscess, abdominal aorta, left and right hamstring disabilities. The Board granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy but denied all other claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and low back disabilities to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spinal stenosis, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the condition and his active service or any service-connected disability.

The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis and a lumbar spine disorder, diagnosed as lumbar spinal stenosis.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to schedule an examination and obtain a medical opinion on its etiology.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, groin muscle injury, to include scrotum disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to duty-to-assist errors in prior VA examinations.

The Board granted increased 20 percent disability ratings for the back, right knee, and left knee disabilities but denied a higher rating for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for the right anterior knee scar.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal requests for all rating decisions due to untimeliness and lack of good cause.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain, lower back disability, and left shoulder disability based on evidence of in-service incurrence and continuity of symptomatology.

The appeal of the May 6, 2025, rating decision that proposed to sever service connection for a left lateral collateral ligament sprain is dismissed.

The Board granted a higher initial rating of 100 percent for ulcerative colitis and denied increased ratings for lumbar paraspinal tendonitis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding a positive nexus to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied higher ratings for left shoulder arthralgia and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with DDD, granted service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the lumbar spine disability, and remanded claims for increased ratings of other musculoskeletal conditions.