The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected low back disability due to a lack of recent VA treatment records and the need for a new examination.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the absence of recent medical evidence and the need for a more contemporaneous evaluation by a VA examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine (low back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22054447
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 22054447.
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 claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, as well as service connection for various disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, low back disability, knee strains, foot disability, and others, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that the evidence demonstrated functional ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine. The issues related to additional service connection were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and left knee disabilities as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability due to incomplete VA opinions. The Veteran's abnormal gait is noted in both medical records.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.