The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the spine and whether his scoliosis is related to service or a pre-existing condition aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was not able to provide an adequate opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's current back disability, including scoliosis, and his in-service injury or job duties due to insufficient medical records and examination reports.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19143578
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 19143578.
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 granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and foraminal stenosis based on a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain a new medical opinion that considers an in-service injury after appropriate efforts are made to obtain the appellant's service treatment records.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral neuropathy below the hips, and a skin disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development and readjudication due to an incomplete medical nexus opinion.
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