The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any spine disability, whether it is related to service or proximately due to or the result of her service-connected left knee disability, and whether it is aggravated by her service-connected left knee disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a remand was necessary because the VA examinations did not account for the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service injury and continued symptoms since discharge, and did not reconcile these with the medical evidence. Additionally, a secondary service connection opinion is needed prior to final adjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- spine condition, degenerative changes, scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22008184
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 22008184.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease and scoliosis, due to lack of current disability evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to deficiencies in the duty to assist, and will require a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing scoliosis and/or additional lumbar vertebra clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and whether any increase in severity during service was due to natural progression.
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