The veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic back disability, including lumbosacral strain, lumbar scoliosis, extensive degenerative changes in the lumbar spine and osteophyte formation at multiple levels is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his current disabilities and service.
The deciding factor: The VA clinician's opinion was limited to linking the veteran's lower back pain and associated left lower extremity pain to an injury occurring during reserve training in July 1969, without addressing all of the diagnosed conditions or their etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lumbosacral strain, lumbar scoliosis, extensive degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, osteophyte formation at multiple levels
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2005
- Citation
- 0517771
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 0517771.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome to include spinal stenosis and lumbar scoliosis, right knee total arthroplasty, and left knee strain are all granted service connection as directly related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the restoration of entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), effective May 1, 2020. The decision was made due to procedural errors in the previous termination decisions.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability ratings for chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, and depression have been granted. The Veteran also received a TDIU effective from January 21, 2009.
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