The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation and consideration of new evidence.
The deciding factor: New evidence has not established a relationship between the Veteran's scoliosis and her period of active service, and additional evaluations are needed to determine appropriate disability ratings for her right knee/leg scars.
- Claimed conditions
- scoliosis, residual painful scar status-post total right knee replacement, residual linear scar status post total right knee replacement, residual scars status post total right knee replacement, right knee/leg surgical scars
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22027993
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 22027993.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, scoliosis and compression fracture of T5 and L2, cervical strain, herniation to C5-6, and narrowing at C3-5, and right knee strain. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of symptoms during active duty.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluation of unspecified depressive and anxiety disorder, service connection for scoliosis, and costochondritis are dismissed.
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