The Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative changes L5-S1 with disc herniation (claimed as back condition) has been reopened, and the case is being remanded to determine if his back condition is related to or aggravated by his service-connected knee conditions.
The deciding factor: An addendum opinion is needed from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran's degenerative changes L5-S1 with disc herniation (claimed as back condition) are at least as likely as not aggravated by or otherwise related to his service-connected knee conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative changes L5-S1 with disc herniation (claimed as back condition)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20001769
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.
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- Dismissed
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- Remanded (sent back)
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