The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability and knee conditions, as well as his TDIU claim. The examination should consider functional loss during flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The previous examinations did not adequately address the functional effects of flare-ups on the Veteran's symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with sacralization of L5 with joint space narrowing (lumbar spine disability), degenerative joint disease (DJD) right knee, degenerative joint disease (DJD) left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2018
- Citation
- 18148832
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 18148832.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his combined disability rating is at least 40% since March 9, 2009. The Board finds the Veteran may be unemployable due to his knee disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional VA evidence, specifically surgical records from May 2021. The appeal will be reconsidered after these records are added to the claims file.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting new VA examinations to assess the severity of his lumbar spine disability and knee conditions. The TDIU claim is also remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, while his DJD left knee is denied. The effective date for PTSD service connection is set at December 5, 2011.
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