The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder (other than low back strain), to include as secondary to service-connected low back strain, and for higher ratings for his service-connected low back strain. The AOJ is instructed to provide additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s scoliosis and DDD of the lumbar spine with facet arthrosis.
The deciding factor: The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine whether the Veteran's diagnosed conditions are related to his service or if they were aggravated by his service-connected low back strain.
- Claimed conditions
- scoliosis, degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with facet arthrosis, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), multi-level foraminal stenosis, degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20070919
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 20070919.
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 Board has restored the Veteran's rating for his right elbow condition from 10 percent to 20 percent effective May 5, 2025, finding that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether there had been improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2020 for the service connection of low back disability and related radiculopathy issues. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted in January 2020.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease and scoliosis, due to lack of current disability evidence.
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