The Veteran seeks service connection for his current low back disorder, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and to provide an adequate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current back disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development was needed due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for an adequate VA examination to address the Veteran's claim.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2009
- Citation
- 0920504
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 0920504.
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 Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, as there is no current disability. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left shoulder, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The appeal was also granted to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral hip disability.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, hypertension, and migraine headaches to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
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