The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development.
The deciding factor: Additional medical examination is required as the findings in the most recent VA examination report are inadequate for rating purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease, left knee chondromalacia and bipartite patella, right knee chondromalacia and bipartite patella, cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2017
- Citation
- 1709082
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 1709082.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to failure to comply with previous directives regarding verification of his address and scheduling of VA examinations.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease from July 23, 2009 was denied as the disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent, as his forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine exceeds 30 degrees.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease and/or lentigo malignant melanoma.
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