The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine is remanded due to the inadequacy of the August 2020 VA examination report and the need for current range of motion testing that disregards the ameliorative effects of his medications.
The deciding factor: The August 2020 VA examination report was inadequate as it did not consider the ameliorative effects of the Veteran's medication on his lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease, Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26036915
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 A26036915.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine, lumbar canal stenosis; right knee condition; left knee condition; right shoulder condition; and neck pain are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his back disability, as well as a need for additional information on his unemployability claim.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an increased rating for degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine, is dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was denied as there were no incapacitating episodes or unfavorable ankylosis during the past year.
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