The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar and bilateral knee disorders. The claims are related back to service, but the VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale in their opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners failed to consider the relevant STRs and other evidence that supports a link between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disorder, bilateral knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23060119
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 23060119.
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 service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder, gout, multiple painful joints, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's lumbar disorder and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are now secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. However, the Board finds that he may be entitled to service connection for a lumbar disorder and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as due to his bilateral pes planus. The case is remanded for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded two issues: the initial rating for a lumbar disorder and the initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The remand is due to inconsistencies in the VA examination report, particularly regarding range of motion during flare-ups.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that service connection is granted for fibromyalgia and tinnitus. The remaining claims of service connection for a back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and cervical cancer are remanded due to procedural errors.
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