The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance due to his use of back and knee braces is being remanded as the rationale provided did not adequately address the Veteran's statements regarding the nature of his braces. An examination will be conducted to determine if the braces are prescribed for service-connected disabilities and whether they cause wear on his clothes.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on insufficient information about the nature of the Veteran's braces and their connection to service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the right knee, lumbar degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18143146
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 18143146.
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 a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease, finding no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and lumbar degenerative disc disease to allow VA to obtain potentially relevant records from Florida VA facilities and clarify dates and locations of periods of incarceration.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease and service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to the back disability.
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