The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left hip strain, and radiculopathy/sciatica in the left and right lower extremities as secondary to metatarsalgia, bilateral feet due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that new medical opinions are necessary to address whether the Veteran's current lumbar spine disorder, hip strain, and radiculopathy/sciatica were caused or aggravated by his service-connected foot disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Left hip strain, Radiculopathy/sciatica left lower extremity, Radiculopathy/sciatica right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25047458
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to an in-service bicycle accident.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted a 30 percent rating, while the lumbar and lower extremity radiculopathy claims are denied. An earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy was granted, and TDIU based on single service-connected disability is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine to correct a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, neurological impairments of the upper extremities, and dismissed the TDIU claim as moot.
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