The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder, to include as secondary to service-connected left varicocele, due to incomplete records and need for clarification of etiology. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA failed to obtain all requested service treatment records and did not provide an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's back disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder, SI joint condition, lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, foraminal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2023
- Citation
- 23062398
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 23062398.
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 Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and lumbar radicopathy, right side, secondary to the lumbosacral strain.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
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