The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and an addendum VA medical opinion to determine the cause and nature of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The examiner was not provided with a comprehensive review of the evidence and failed to address the Veteran's contention that his current lumbar spine disability is related to his service-connected right ankle disability, which could cause or aggravate his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondylosis, DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the bilateral sacroiliac joints
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23062505
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 23062505.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities, while severe, do not render him unable to obtain or maintain a gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, hypothyroidism, prostate cancer, sleep apnea secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, tinea pedis, and lumbar spondylosis.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 1, 2018, for the award of service connection for radiculopathy, right lower extremity, was granted. The appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU was dismissed as moot.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, and lumbar spondylosis based on the evidence of record.
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