The Board has remanded the claims for an increased evaluation for degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and associated radiculopathies due to incomplete examination findings. The Veteran is also being asked to provide a TDIU determination based on his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not perform Correia-compliant range-of-motion testing, which was required by the February 2021 remand directive.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease at L4-L5, Radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity, Radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity, Radiculopathy, femoral nerve, left lower extremity, Radiculopathy, femoral nerve, right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21040062
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 21040062.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left and right lower extremities. The claim for a compensable rating prior to October 17, 2019, for migraine headaches was denied, as were the claims for TDIU due solely to the effects of migraine headaches.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a VA Peripheral Nerves examination to determine the nature, extent, and severity of the Veteran's service-connected left and right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS, radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity, and PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, and other specified depressive disorder are all granted as service-connected.,PTSD is linked to in-service stressors, while the other conditions have been granted on a direct basis.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back condition and related radiculopathies, left shoulder strain, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined impact of these conditions.
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