The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cervical radiculopathy and lumbar radiculopathy, as well as increased evaluations for the Veteran's lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities. The left ankle disability claim is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not comply with the requirements in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016), which requires specific range of motion testing for each joint examined and a retrospective opinion addressing functional impairment since 2009.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical radiculopathy, lumbar radiculopathy, disc space narrowing, sclerosis, and osteophyte formation (lumbar spine disability), disc space narrowing, sclerosis, and osteophyte formation (cervical spine disability), left ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 3, 2018
- Citation
- 18115668
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 18115668.
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 expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty and his continuous symptoms since then.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome in the left upper extremity, and the Board has dismissed this case.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left, right ankle disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, left and right shin splints, and left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate nexus opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran contends that her current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during basic training.
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