The Board remands the appeal to obtain a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis for the periods on appeal.
The deciding factor: The October 2024 VA medical opinion was inadequate and did not substantially comply with the Board's remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- 25004672
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 remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, entitlement to TDIU, and special monthly compensation due to the need for additional development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple musculoskeletal conditions and a psychiatric condition, all of which were determined to be caused by an in-service injury.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, chest pain, breathing issues, numbness in the hands, and foot pain based on a continuity of symptomatology and presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.
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