The Board has determined that the VA etiological opinion is inadequate and requires additional examination to address all relevant in-service and current diagnoses, as well as the Veteran's reported history of chronic lower back pain.
The deciding factor: The examiner did not adequately address all relevant STRs or current diagnoses, nor did they consider the Veteran’s reports of intermittent back pain since 1981.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis, Left sided sciatica, Mild retrolisthesis of L1 on L2, Spondylolysis at L3-L4 and L5-S1 on the right side, Multilevel degenerative disc disease, Piriformis syndrome, Lumbosacral strain, Myalgia, Myositis, Straightened lordosis, Mild scoliosis, Lumbago, Spinal enthesopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18144061
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 18144061.
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 Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to properly evaluate the current severity of her disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection for lumbosacral strain was dismissed, and the claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, cervical radiculopathy (left and right) were remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed due to res judicata, as the issues were previously adjudicated and are now barred from further review.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for claims related to an increased rating and service connection, as well as lack of jurisdiction over a previously granted claim for sinusitis.
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