The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's upper back disability and its relationship to his service-connected right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The examiner is asked to opine whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's upper back disability is proximately caused by, or aggravated by, his service-connected right knee disability, considering obesity as an intermediate step between the disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- upper back disability, right upper extremity disability, left upper extremity disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22005711
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22005711.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, lower back disability, upper back disability, bilateral foot disability, tinnitus, and bilateral knee disability. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's upper and low back disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral foot disability, and overall body pain are related to his active service. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's Parkinson's disease and related conditions have necessitated a higher level of care, including hospitalization and skilled home health care. The Board has granted SMC at the (r)(2) rate based on this need.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left middle finger, right hand (including right middle finger), left arm, and upper back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active military service.
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