The Veteran is seeking service connection for a low back disability, which they believe is related to their service-connected left ankle disability. The Board has determined that further development is needed as there is insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current back disability.
The deciding factor: Further examination and opinion are required to determine if the Veteran's current back disability is proximately due to or chronically aggravated by a service-connected disability, specifically their left ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2017
- Citation
- 1756139
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 1756139.
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 Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's back condition, which includes degenerative disc disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine, is granted a disability rating of 40 percent from January 23, 2012 to May 30, 2013. This decision resolves an earlier denial by the Board.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine, finding that there is no credible evidence linking his current condition to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate since August 10, 2017 due to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability. Prior to this date, SMC was denied as his other service-connected disabilities did not combine to reach a rating of 60 percent.
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