The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's sleep apnea and radiculopathy of the lower extremities. The first issue is whether the Veteran's current sleep apnea is related to his active service, including complaints of frequent trouble sleeping in service. The second and third issues are about whether the Veteran's radiculopathy of the lower left and right extremities is secondary to his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with lumbago.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence for a diagnosis of radiculopathy and remanded for updated records and a new examination. For sleep apnea, the Board noted that there was sufficient evidence to find a relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his service, but a VA opinion is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, radiculopathy of the lower left extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18141606
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 18141606.
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 remands the claim for a direct service connection opinion and an adequate secondary service connection aggravation opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea is dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted, making the case moot.
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