The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is related to service and may be considered for direct service connection. However, there are issues regarding whether his back disability is secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The decision is remanded to obtain a VA medical opinion addressing these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's back disability may be related to service and should be considered for direct service connection, but there are unresolved questions regarding whether it is secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 13, 2024
- Citation
- A24046363
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 A24046363.
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 Veteran's appeal is granted to grant an initial rating of 20 percent for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with IVDS with strain, and separate initial ratings of 20 percent each for left knee osteoarthritis with subluxation and right knee osteoarthritis with subluxation. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for limitation of motion of the right knee is denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for sciatica of the right lower extremity is also denied. The Board has remanded his claims for TDIU and increased ratings.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of service connection for flat feet and higher initial ratings for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with IVDS, allergic rhinitis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and status post right thumb fracture.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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