The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is remanded due to the need for a comprehensive review of his medical records and an opinion regarding whether the August 1986 laminectomy caused additional disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The claim requires further development as it involves determining if the Veteran's current condition is related to the VA surgery performed in 1986.
- Claimed conditions
- DDD of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1741897
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 1741897.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine and remanded issues related to a left hip condition, colon cancer status post colon resection, and right foot and right hip conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for service connection of a thoracolumbar spine disorder. The Veteran will undergo a new VA examination to determine the nature and cause of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated left lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate VA examinations, lack of ankylosis assessment, and need for additional medical records.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain, DDD of the lumbar spine, right knee strain, and a left knee condition. The conditions are found to have started during service.
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