The Board has decided that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral shin splints may have aggravated her idiopathic scoliosis, and thus remands for an addendum opinion to address this issue.
The deciding factor: The examiner only addressed whether the shin splints proximately caused the scoliosis, not if it aggravated it beyond its natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- idiopathic scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21027385
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 21027385.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his claim for service connection for idiopathic scoliosis, and the appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and additional development is required. The claim will be addressed again, including whether the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain aggravated his other lumbar spine disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's biological mother is not a Vietnam veteran, and therefore the appellant does not qualify for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1815 for birth defects other than spina bifida.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for idiopathic scoliosis and granted it. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is pending.
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