The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a comprehensive VA medical opinion regarding whether the appellant has a disorder that is a form or manifestation of spina bifida, other than spina bifida occulta. The examiner must review all relevant medical records and MRI study images.
The deciding factor: The case requires an independent medical expert's opinion on the relationship between the appellant’s conditions and spina bifida.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, Chiari I Malformation, syringomyelia, cervical instability, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19113668
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,036 · Granted: 27% (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 19113668.
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 claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for a child born with spina bifida is denied because no new and relevant evidence has been submitted to support the claim.
- Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development to address whether the Veteran's acquired neurological disorder, including Arnold Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, is related to his service. The muscle inflammation claim due to Persian Gulf service is also being remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's service in Vietnam did not qualify the Appellant for benefits due to spina bifida or other covered birth defects, as her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran.
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