The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective date issues due to internal discrepancies in his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis diagnosis, as well as ongoing radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical records and schedule a VA examination to clarify the nature of the Veteran's disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the November 2019 VA examination was inadequate in clarifying the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis and addressing past diagnoses, as well as the current radiculopathy symptoms. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical records and schedule a VA examination for clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosing spondylitis, radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve, radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve, radiculopathy of the right femoral nerve, radiculopathy of the left femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20081851
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20081851.
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.
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- Partly granted
The Veteran's left hip strain (limited flexion) was restored to a 30 percent evaluation effective June 19, 2024.,An evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the same condition is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis affecting his lumbar spine is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and treatment records.
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