The Board remands the issues of increased ratings for cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine spondylosis for additional development.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence is inadequate to determine the severity of the Veteran's neck and back disabilities without considering the ameliorative effects of medication, so a new opinion is necessary.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine spondylosis, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2025
- Citation
- 25008196
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and increased rating claims, including those related to various conditions such as right foot condition, TMJ, asthma, jawbone condition, sleep apnea, kidney stones, chronic bronchitis, Alpha gal, encephalopathy, left shoulder, left ankle, cervical spine, right hip, tachycardia, loose teeth, and jawbone condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent and 20 percent for cervical spine spondylosis and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis, as an adequate medical opinion has not been obtained.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for cervical spine spondylosis from September 23, 2013 and a 40 percent rating for right upper extremity (RUE) radiculopathy prior to December 16, 2013. Other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical spine spondylosis, a left shoulder condition, and PTSD. The claims for a left knee condition, right knee condition, and right ankle condition were remanded.
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