The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as well as his erectile dysfunction. The issues include increased ratings for these conditions and service connection for erectile dysfunction.
The deciding factor: The current rating criteria do not allow for separate ratings for the thoracic spine segment, and the Veteran's claim is remanded to determine the severity of his spinal disabilities and any associated right upper/lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- Erectile Dysfunction, Cervical Spine Arthritis, Scoliosis, Disc Disease and Herniated Nucleus Pulposus, Thoracolumbar Spine Fracture with Disc Disease, Arthritis, and Scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2018
- Citation
- 18123088
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 18123088.
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 has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Lower Extremity Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Sciatic Nerve), Erectile Dysfunction, and Bladder Cancer in remission. Effective dates have been set for these awards as of July 14, 2004. The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to have had its onset during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.
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