The Board has granted service connection for thoracic spine osteophyte formation, but the case is remanded to determine if the appellant has degenerative disc disease and whether it is related to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner needs to assess the presence of degenerative disc disease and its relationship to the veteran's service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic spine osteophyte formation, chronic thoracic sprain, history of right fifth rib contusion with costochondral junction mass
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19143294
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 claim for a higher rating for his service-connected chronic thoracic sprain is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and treatment records.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
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