The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and treatment records, requiring further evaluation of the Veteran's low back strain with osteoarthritis of the facet joints.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not comply with the Court’s holding in Sharp v. Shulkin, which requires a thorough examination that includes range of motion testing under all conditions (active and passive, weight-bearing, and after repetitive use).
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, osteoarthritis of the facet joints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19189795
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 19189795.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow and secure substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating for individual unemployability is granted.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for left knee patellar femoral syndrome, right knee patellar femoral syndrome, low back strain, and right hip bursitis.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, but granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraines, OSA, a neck condition, left ankle sprain, low back strain, bilateral foot and knee conditions, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, and bilateral hearing loss, as VA failed to provide adequate examinations.
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