The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion addressing direct service connection and whether any current back disability was caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right knee strain/instability.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions are inadequate as they do not address other potential theories of entitlement reasonably raised by the record, specifically direct service connection. Additionally, there may be outstanding relevant VA treatment records and private treatment records that need to be obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolisthesis with bilateral pars defect, lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24001588
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 spondylolisthesis with bilateral pars defect based on new and relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran.
- Granted
The veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, lumbar radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. It also granted initial ratings for various disabilities including a 20 percent rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, spondylosis, and spondylolisthesis, a 30 percent rating for labral tear, including superior labral anterior-posterior lesion, status post surgical repair, and higher ratings for other conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for earlier effective dates for lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity sciatica was dismissed due to a procedural defect in the docketing of the appeal.
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