The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent from April 10, 2009 and a disability rating in excess of 40 percent from July 8, 2015 for degenerative joint disease of lumbar spine. The remand includes obtaining missing VA treatment records, verifying chiropractic treatment authorization, and determining if the Veteran has functional ankylosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is needed to address whether all relevant medical records have been obtained and to determine if the Veteran's symptoms are manifestations of functional ankylosis during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22056651
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 22056651.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and left leg radiculopathy have been granted a 40 percent rating. However, his right leg radiculopathy and left leg radiculopathy are remanded for further review.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and lumbar spine conditions, have rendered him permanently housebound since April 7, 2018. The Board has granted an effective date of April 7, 2018 for SMC based on his housebound status.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for clarification regarding whether his symptoms manifest as unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or the entire spine, and when these symptoms manifested.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are each rated at 20 percent, but the Board found they do not warrant higher ratings based on the criteria provided.
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