The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical evidence and provide the veteran with another VA examination. The case will be readjudicated based on both the former and revised rating criteria for evaluating diseases and disabilities of the spine.
The deciding factor: The decision is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and providing a VA examination to determine the current severity of the service-connected residuals of the spinal fracture and the nature and etiology of any additional identified back pathology.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis (i.e., degenerative joint disease (DDD)) of the L3 to S1, bilateral sacroiliitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2007
- Citation
- 0736031
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 0736031.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral sacroiliitis as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine condition due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent from April 1, 2015. The claim for an increased rating remains on appeal.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve was granted a separate 10 percent rating effective January 31, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's back disorder, diagnosed as L5-S1 facet joint arthroplasty with neuroforaminal stenosis and bilateral sacroiliitis, is related to an injury incurred during his training in Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 1974. The Board granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for his low back disability, finding that the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or entire spine.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.