The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine with lumbosacral strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence from the previous VA examination.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examination did not comply with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017), and thus a new examination is needed to assess the current severity of the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine with lumbosacral strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20022608
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20022608.
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 request for an effective date prior to June 28, 2013, for service connection of his spinal disability. The claim was received on that date and the Board found it appropriate as the effective date.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy conditions effective September 30, 2015.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine with lumbosacral strain is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, secondary to now service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine with lumbosacral strain, is granted on a causation basis.,The Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus was aggravated by active duty service and is therefore service-connected.
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