The Veteran's back disability is granted as secondary to service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, other than PTSD, is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for service connection on a secondary basis for a back disability due to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Spondylosis, Lower back pain (LBP) with activities of daily living's (ADL's) 2/2 chronic mechanical strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2023
- Citation
- 23063375
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 23063375.
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 granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and foraminal stenosis based on a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain a new medical opinion that considers an in-service injury after appropriate efforts are made to obtain the appellant's service treatment records.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral neuropathy below the hips, and a skin disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development and readjudication due to an incomplete medical nexus opinion.
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