The Veteran's claim for service connection of a mechanical low back disability is reopened. The Board finds additional development necessary due to the possibility of worsening knee disabilities and new onset of lower back pain.
The deciding factor: Additional evidence suggests that the Veteran may have experienced lower back pain during or shortly after his military service, which was not adequately considered in an earlier examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Mechanical low back pain, Left knee patellofemoral syndrome, Right knee patellofemoral syndrome, Bilateral knee degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20007595
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 rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from July 7, 2017, but no earlier, to July 26, 2019, and he was granted basic eligibility for DEA benefits during the same period.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for binge eating disorder and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, but granted a 20 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome with limitation of flexion and a separate 10 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome with instability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD, service connection for left and right knee instability and locking, but remanded evaluations for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome and limitation of flexion as well as the TDIU claim.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected back disability and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right lower extremity radiculopathy.
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