The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding service connection for various lumbar spine conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's spondylolysis is considered a congenital defect, but there may be a superimposed disability related to active service resulting in an additional disability. The VA examiner must determine if any other lumbar spine diagnoses are related to the Veteran's active service.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar strain, degenerative joint disease, degenerative disc disease, 10mm anterolisthesis, spondylosis of L5 with loss of height from T9, T10, and T11
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20004114
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 a rating greater than 10 percent for thoracolumbar strain, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since September 26, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence that it met a compensable level during the period on appeal.
- Dismissed
The appeal to reopen the previous denial of service connection for lumbosacral strain is dismissed as the benefit sought has been fully granted.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.