The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, diabetes mellitus, type II, and various orthopedic conditions. The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's testimony indicates his service-connected disabilities have worsened since his last VA examination in 2010, necessitating further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Diabetes mellitus, type II, Spondyloarthropathy, left hip, Spondyloarthropathy, right hip, Chondromalacia, right knee with arthritis, Acne/folliculitis, Peripheral neuropathy of the left foot, Peripheral neuropathy of the right foot, Compensable evaluation for peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity, Compensable evaluation for peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity, Spondyloarthropathy, right shoulder, Mycotic toenails
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2014
- Citation
- 1455514
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 1455514.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
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