The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for thoracolumbar spinal stenosis due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to active duty or Reserve service.
The deciding factor: The VA treatment records do not provide clear information on when the Veteran's thoracolumbar spinal stenosis began, nor does it establish a clear link between his military service and the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2026
- Citation
- A26003380
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A26003380.
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's appeals for higher ratings were dismissed because he withdrew all pending claims and appeals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right ankle avulsion fracture is rated at 10 percent, and his thoracolumbar spinal stenosis with spinal fusion is rated at 20 percent. The issues of a compensable rating for bladder disturbance associated with the Veteran’s thoracolumbar spine disorder and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.,The Veteran's right ankle avulsion fracture remains rated at 10 percent, while his thoracolumbar spinal stenosis is rated at 20 percent. The issues of a compensable rating for bladder disturbance associated with the Veteran’s thoracolumbar spine disorder and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right ankle avulsion fracture and thoracolumbar spinal stenosis, as well as his claim for TDIU due to additional development of evidence and issuance of an addendum opinion regarding flare-ups.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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