The Board has granted service connection for left sacroiliac joint strain. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine degenerative changes, lumbar spine IVDS, and bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy are remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports did not provide etiological opinions regarding the diagnoses of lumbar spine degenerative changes, lumbar spine IVDS, or radiculopathy. The Board therefore finds that a new medical opinion is needed to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- left sacroiliac joint strain, lumbar spine degenerative changes, bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19167426
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 19167426.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an increased rating higher than 40 percent for a back disability, as the evidence did not support a finding that his symptomatology more nearly approximated unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or incapacitating episodes requiring physician-prescribed bed rest.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his conditions did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions, including right knee disability, left knee disability (secondary to right knee), back disability (secondary to bilateral knee disabilities), bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy (secondary to back disability), and depression (secondary to service-connected disabilities). The remand is due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right foot disability and for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine degenerative changes, as well as his claim for a compensable initial evaluation for bilateral exercise-induced compartment syndrome status post five compartment fasciotomies with residual scars. The issues were remanded for additional development.
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