The Board remanded the case for additional development, specifically an orthopedic examination with a thorough explanation of the nature and etiology of any diagnosed spinal disability.
The deciding factor: The negative nexus opinion provided in January 2008 was deemed insufficient by the Board, requiring an addendum or new examination to provide a supported medical opinion on the relationship between the veteran's current low back disorder and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- herniated nucleus pulposus, L4-5
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2008
- Citation
- 0811327
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (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 0811327.
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
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation, thus meeting the criteria for a TDIU.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's request to reopen the claim of service connection for a herniated nucleus pulposus, L4-5, is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a left lower extremity disability due to outstanding medical questions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his herniated nucleus pulposus, lumbosacral strain and degenerative changes, diabetes mellitus, bilateral retinopathy with cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus, residuals of a fractured phalanx, right third toe, high frequency hearing loss of the left ear, and malaria, preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise that the Veteran is unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment by reason of his service-connected disabilities and grants TDIU on an extraschedular basis.
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