The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for thoracic spine DDD, a prior effective date, and TDIU are being remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The VA will obtain updated treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a new examination.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examination did not adequately assess functional loss with repeated use over time and failed to provide an estimate of additional range of motion loss after such use.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic spine degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23062019
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 23062019.
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 determined that the Veteran's thoracic and lumbar spine conditions, diagnosed as DDD, are related to his active-duty service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's thoracic and cervical spine DDD are granted as service connected. The Veteran's headaches, which are secondary to the spinal conditions, are also granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for thoracic spine DDD, cervical spine DDD, and headaches due to inadequate VA examination reports. Further development is needed to comply with VA's duty to assist in fully developing the facts and evidence concerning these claims.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied as the medical evidence did not support the assertions of prior manifestations or higher disability ratings.
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