The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteopenia was denied. The Board found that osteopenia alone is not a disability warranting VA compensation benefits and there was no underlying disease or injury to which the osteopenia could be related. The claims for increased ratings were remanded due to incomplete examination reports.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's osteopenia findings in service records did not constitute a current disability, as they only represented laboratory findings of decreased bone mass. There was no evidence of an underlying disease or injury associated with the osteopenia during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteopenia, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the right shoulder, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracolumbar spine, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the cervical spine, Residuals of left index finger fracture, Right foot plantar fasciitis, calcaneal heel spurs second and third metatarsal fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19103809
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,812 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103809.
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 claims for PTSD, infertility, osteopenia, and breast cancer are being remanded due to the need for further development.,Entitlement to a higher rating for PTSD is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability is denied. The effective date of SMC and DEA benefits based on permanent and total disability status is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his DJD of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding the functional impairment associated with his condition, without considering the beneficial effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for skin cancer, Osteopenia, and bilateral hand tremors due to ionizing radiation exposure in service.,Reasonable doubt is resolved in favor of the Veteran on all three claims.
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