The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine and right ankle degenerative arthritis, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to January 7, 2019. The appeals are remanded due to the need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the claims of increased ratings and TDIU were inextricably intertwined with the need for updated treatment records and readjudication considering all newly acquired evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine, right ankle degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22001617
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 22001617.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected right ankle degenerative arthritis and his current knee conditions.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, left foot pes cavus, and right foot pes cavus as there is no credible medical evidence establishing a nexus between his current disabilities and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, bilateral hip conditions and entitlement to specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated during his period of ACDUTRA.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of June 7, 2023, for entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and right ankle arthritis.
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