The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spinal stenosis and lower, middle, and upper back conditions as secondary to a service-connected left knee condition due to insufficient opinions in VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale or address all relevant diagnoses of record, leading to remand for further examination and opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spinal stenosis, Lower, middle, and upper back conditions
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22071444
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 22071444.
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.
- Granted
The Board has restored a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's cervical spine disability, effective March 1, 2021, finding that there was no sustained improvement in the severity of her condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C is denied as the evidence does not support a service connection.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is denied as there is no diagnosis of PTSD and the medical records do not indicate its onset in service or relate it to any injury or illness during active duty.,The Veteran's claim for cervical spinal stenosis is denied as there is no evidence showing a current condition related to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for kidney condition, to include hydronephrosis, is denied as the medical records do not indicate that it was caused by an event or illness during active duty and is not secondary to any service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine condition, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy are currently rated at 20 percent, 40 percent, and 30 percent respectively. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, claimed as a cervical fracture, is being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if the fall at VA caused or aggravated any additional disability and whether such disability was due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
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.