The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions, specifically regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities. The Veteran is required to be provided with new VA examinations to determine the nature, extent, and severity of his spinal conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the September 2017 and March 2018 VA examinations did not comply with the July 2017 Board remand directives regarding range of motion testing during flare-ups and functional loss due to pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbosacral strain with residual post-surgical changes of the posterior decompression at L3-4 through L5-S1 with disc herniation (lumbar spine strain), Cervical spine strain with degenerative disc disease and herniated nucleus pulposus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005737
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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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myasthenia gravis based on the Veteran's exposure to hazardous substances during his military service.
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