The Board has denied the Veteran's request for a higher rating for his thoracic spine disability and has remanded the issues of SMC based on need for aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound prior to April 1, 2015, entitlement to SMC based on the need for aid and attendance from April 1, 2015, and TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's thoracic spine disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating under the applicable schedular criteria. The issues of SMC and TDIU were remanded due to procedural errors in the prior adjudications.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132155
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 Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for a thoracic spine condition. The matter is returned to the AOJ for further development and consideration.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative changes of the thoracic spine, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, and costochondritis are found to be related to his active service.
- Denied
The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current spinal conditions to his military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.