The Veteran's lumbar spine condition and associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies are remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his conditions throughout the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a new VA examination is necessary due to the lack of compliance with previous remand directives regarding range of motion testing and retroactive opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine condition, right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21075102
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 21075102.
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 Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right ankle disorder.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection for gastroenteritis, lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain, right knee strain and hemorrhoids. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of a lumbosacral strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of a left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of right knee strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of hemorrhoids. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition and a lumbar spine condition, finding that these conditions first manifested in service and are related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder condition, left knee condition, lumbar spine condition (as secondary to left knee condition), right knee condition (as secondary to left knee condition), posttraumatic stress disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (secondary to service-connected disabilities with obesity as an intermediary step).,The Board found the evidence persuasive in favor of granting service connection for these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of tinnitus, anxiety disorder, left hamstring tear, bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, and lumbar spine condition due to improper concurrent election.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.