The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to inadequate examination findings and need for additional medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide all necessary findings, particularly regarding incapacitating episodes and range of motion, which are required for proper disability evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2012
- Citation
- 1232433
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 1232433.
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 degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left shoulder arthritis, finding no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right hip, and right renal atrophy with renal insufficiency as secondary to the Veteran's left knee disability. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for instability of the left knee.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals related to service connection, increased ratings, and effective dates for various conditions due to procedural defects.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and missing service treatment records. The Veteran's low back condition is being reviewed again for proper consideration.
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