The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected right knee and/or right ankle disabilities and his thoracolumbar back condition. The Veteran will need to undergo a VA examination to determine if he has any thoracolumbar spine disabilities, including lumbar spondylosis, and whether these conditions are caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee and/or right ankle disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found the current medical evidence insufficient to establish a link between the Veteran's service-connected right knee and/or right ankle disabilities and his thoracolumbar back condition.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondylosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19121037
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (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 19121037.
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 has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar disorder, diagnosed as lumbar spondylosis and L3-L4 disc herniation status post hemilaminectomy (s/p) right L3-4 hemilaminectomy with diskectomy. The Board found that there is sufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's current disability and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and the need for clarification of the Veteran's service periods. The Veteran is diagnosed with lumbosacral strain and lumbar spondylosis, and the claim will be reconsidered based on new evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of August 14, 2024 for the award of a 40 percent rating for service-connected chronic compression fracture at T7 with lumbar spondylosis and thoracolumbar strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for diabetes, right hip condition, and an effective date for the increased rating of lumbar spondylosis.
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