The Veteran's cervical spine, shoulder, hip, knee, and radicular conditions are related to her in-service injury. The Board finds the VA examiners' opinions inadequate as they did not consider the relevant STRs or lay evidence of record.,The Veteran contends that her current musculoskeletal pain and symptoms began in service and are also related to her service-connected lumbar spine condition.
The deciding factor: VA examiners failed to adequately address the Veteran's STRs, which document multiple instances of treatment for musculoskeletal conditions during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine arthritis and chronic pain, Left shoulder arthritis and chronic pain, Right shoulder arthritis and chronic pain, Left hip arthritis and chronic pain, Right hip arthritis and chronic pain, Left knee arthritis and chronic pain, Right knee arthritis and chronic pain, Left upper extremity radiculopathy, Right upper extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Menorrhagia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23056079
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 23056079.
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 granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
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