The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back conditions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his low back strain, degenerative arthritis, disc disease, spondylosis, ankylosis, and stenosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional medical opinions are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain, Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Lumbar spondylosis, Ankylosis of the thoracic-lumbar spine, Spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20080163
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 granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to an in-service bicycle accident.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted a 30 percent rating, while the lumbar and lower extremity radiculopathy claims are denied. An earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy was granted, and TDIU based on single service-connected disability is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
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