The Board has found new and relevant evidence that may support the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder. The case is being remanded to allow the AOJ to conduct a de novo review of this issue.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran suggests his current low back disorder may be related to his military service, including his leg length discrepancy and prolonged standing during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the lumbosacral spine with muscle spasm (a low back disorder), left knee degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2020
- Citation
- A20008660
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A20008660.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability, including without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were withdrawn, and his claims for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or other disabling conditions that would warrant higher ratings.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability was not shown to be related to service or any service-connected conditions, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee degenerative joint disease with painful motion due to a lack of consideration of the ameliorative effects of medication use, specifically Gel-One knee injections and Motrin/ibuprofen.
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