The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, neck disorder, and ulcerative colitis as due to ankylosing spondylitis. The AOJ is instructed to obtain clinical or other records of physical therapy from his duty at Eglin Air Force Base FL during 1970-1971. They are also asked to seek a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's existing spine disorder increased in severity during service and if so, whether it was due to natural progression.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the claims file was incomplete and requested additional records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records and then seek a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's existing spine disorder increased in severity during service, with consideration of natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorder (ankylosing spondylitis), neck disorder, ulcerative colitis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2022
- Citation
- 22008603
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 22008603.
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 Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress and service connection for ulcerative colitis are being remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant medical records.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as the new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of establishing his entitlement to TDIU. The Board found that the VA treatment records generated in the year following the September 2017 rating decision were cumulative or redundant and did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision on his service connection claims.
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