The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the neck and lumbosacral spine degenerative joint disease due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The VA is required to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not substantial compliance with its prior remand directives, necessitating a new examination and opinion for both conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the neck, lumbosacral spine degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21024304
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 21024304.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim to restore a 20 percent schedular rating for lumbosacral spine degenerative joint disease and degenerative arthritis with kyphotic angulation, effective December 1, 2024.
- Granted
An effective date prior to December 29, 2016, for the award of a 10% rating for left great toe fracture residuals is denied.,A rating in excess of 10% for left great toe fracture residuals is denied.,Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring further medical opinion and development.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral spine degenerative joint disease and lower left extremity radiculopathy associated with the condition have been denied. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on ankylosis or IVDS, and the current disability levels are considered to be most consistent with moderate incomplete paralysis prior to July 15, 2022, and moderately severe incomplete paralysis thereafter.
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