The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion to determine if the upper back disability is related to service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine or other service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The claim must be remanded to obtain an examination and opinion addressing whether the upper back disability is caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- upper back disability, including thoracic and/or cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2013
- Citation
- 1302986
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 1302986.
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
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