The Board remands the case for a new examination to ensure compliance with prior instructions regarding the severity of the Veteran's thoracic spine disability, including the effects of flare-ups and repeated use over time.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary due to non-compliance with previous Board remand instructions and the need to discount the ameliorative effects of medications in assessing the severity of the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disk disease, thoracic spine with history of compression fractures
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2025
- Citation
- 25006790
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 claim for a neck disorder to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current neck condition, including whether it is related to her military service.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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