The veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the low back is being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence and potential confusion about when the injury occurred. The VA will need to provide a medical examination to determine if the condition is related to an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: Insufficient competent medical evidence exists to decide the claim, but current medical evidence of a diagnosed disability, the veteran's testimony that he injured his back during service, and a statement from one of the veteran's doctors indicate potential association with service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the low back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2006
- Citation
- 0623461
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,464 · Granted: 14% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0623461.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded both claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the low back and a left knee disorder, as they are inextricably intertwined with each other.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between service and hearing loss and tinnitus.
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