The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine osteoarthritis due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of clear and unmistakable evidence regarding pre-existing spinal canal stenosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient clarity in the previous medical opinions provided, particularly regarding whether the Veteran’s pre-existing spinal canal stenosis was aggravated by service or if it manifested within one year of separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine osteoarthritis, cervical spine osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21001539
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 21001539.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and TDIU is remanded due to the need for additional development of the record, including a thorough examination of his lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability, including lumbar spine osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis L3 - L5, and grade 1 L4 on L5 spondylolisthesis. The decision is based on continuity of symptomatology since service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating for his service-connected lumbar spine osteoarthritis is being remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant Social Security Administration (SSA) records prior to the July 2020 rating decision.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his active service, including exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune or diabetes mellitus.
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