The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected low back disability is being remanded due to the need for updated medical examination and consideration of revised VA rating criteria.
The deciding factor: Additional information is needed to adjudicate the veteran's claim, including a review of the new rating criteria and a physical examination to assess the current state of his service-connected lumbosacral spondylosis, spina bifida occulta, and arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylosis of the lumbar spine, spina bifida occulta at L5-S1, traumatic arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0432221
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0432221.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating for service-connected right ankle with traumatic arthritis (claimed as right ankle instability). The Board dismissed the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, effective April 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to obtain opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle ganglion cyst, spondylosis of the lumbar spine, knee strain, and acromioclavicular joint arthritis are caused or aggravated by his service-connected chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating higher than 20% for his left shoulder disability, stating that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
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