The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical records and need for clarification on whether the Veteran's back and right leg conditions are related to his service-connected right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The claims file is missing recent treatment records, which may affect the determination of the nature and etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed conditions. The examiner must also clarify if any functional impairments are related to active duty service or secondary to the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18157851
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 18157851.
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 service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and foraminal stenosis based on a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain a new medical opinion that considers an in-service injury after appropriate efforts are made to obtain the appellant's service treatment records.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral neuropathy below the hips, and a skin disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development and readjudication due to an incomplete medical nexus opinion.
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