The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, Osgood-Schlatter's disease and osteoarthritis, left knee, and incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and opinions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has requested a hearing before the Board but did not appear for a scheduled hearing. The claims need further development including obtaining updated VA treatment records, conducting new VA compensation examinations, and reviewing the evidence in the claims file.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, Osgood-Schlatter's disease and osteoarthritis, left knee, incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1817438
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 1817438.
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 has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of hypertension, heart disorder, BPH, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with cervical muscle spasm, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathy, bilateral hip degenerative arthritis, right knee DJD, right ankle condition, vision disability (glaucoma and cataracts), and acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for a TDIU from November 1, 2014 to March 2, 2016 is dismissed as moot because he is already receiving a combined 100% disability rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and an initial rating of 20 percent for a low back condition. The effective date is not specified.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, right knee chondromalacia with tibial stress injury, left shoulder strain, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, left great toe strain, and right great toe strain. The reasons include the need for updated VA outpatient treatment records and more contemporaneous examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.
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