The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis, and foraminal stenosis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right ankle strain are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA will obtain a new opinion from an appropriate clinician to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinions were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's reported symptoms in service and thereafter, nor did they take into account how his current disabilities are known to develop. The VA will obtain a new opinion from an appropriate clinician to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Lumbar Degenerative Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Foraminal Stenosis, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Right Ankle Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26027827
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 A26027827.
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 has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, including diagnosed degenerative arthritis with DDD other than intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis status post L3, L4, and L5 laminectomy. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury and his ongoing symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, including unsteady gait, somnolence, and cognitive dysfunction. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements about in-service head injuries and subsequent seizures.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 30 percent disability rating since November 29, 2021.
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