The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back disability, cervical spine disability, and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's VA treatment records show current diagnoses of degenerative changes in his lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spines, as well as osteoarthritis in both knees. Further examination is needed to determine the relationship between these conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current low back, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Cervical spine disability, Bilateral knee disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2018
- Citation
- 18143903
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 18143903.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and addendum medical opinions to clarify the effects of flareups and repeated use over time.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and arthritis, to include bilateral hips and knees, due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, prostate disability, and kidney cancer due to inadequate medical opinions and potential outstanding VA treatment records.
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