The Veteran's lumbar spine condition, sciatic nerve involvement of the lower extremities, and bowel dysfunction are being remanded for further development as they may be rated higher based on recent surgeries.
The deciding factor: The Veteran underwent two lumbar laminectomy revisions in October 2017 and April 2018, which could affect his current disability ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spinal stenosis, disc herniation, degenerative disc disease (DDD), intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), bowel dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148137
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, lumbar spinal stenosis, and psychiatric disorders were dismissed due to untimely notice of disagreement. The proposed rating reductions for lower extremity radiculopathy were also dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 20 percent rating for intervertebral disc syndrome based on limited cervical range of motion and a 40 percent rating for IVDS based on limited thoracolumbar range of motion, while dismissing the appeal for service connection for a right knee disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spinal stenosis, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the condition and his active service or any service-connected disability.
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