The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the Veteran's arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and its relation to service.
The deciding factor: Incomplete medical opinions are needed to determine if the Veteran's current arthritis is related to his in-service back pain.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back condition (claimed as back pain with bulging disc), arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20042452
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 20042452.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and arthritis of the cervical spine, attributing these conditions to a motor vehicle accident in 1977 during active service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's symptoms were consistent with known facts and circumstances of service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The veteran's rating for back disability was restored to 40 percent because the evidence did not show improvement during flare-ups.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for headaches as secondary to service-connected allergic sinusitis. The issues of whether the character of discharge and service connection for psychiatric disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, arthritis of the cervical spine, and arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine are remanded.
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