The Board remands the claims for further development to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion that reconciles the October 2019 private medical report and the March 2020 VA examination report.
The deciding factor: The Board must remand to obtain an adequate VA examination and medical opinion in order to reconcile the October 2019 private medical report and March 2020 VA examination report and determine the nature of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS, as well as for the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25028999
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a scar on the lumbar spine.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy and remanded the issue of a higher rating for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS).
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal because the rating for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS was restored to 20 percent, making the issue moot.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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