Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected herniated disc at L5-S1. The claim for a kidney disorder was denied due to lack of competent medical evidence showing it was first manifest in service or within one year thereafter, or that it was caused by his service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than September 27, 2000 were granted and the effective date was changed to September 23, 2002.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral leg condition, finding that the appellant's peripheral neuropathy was due to alcohol abuse and not related to his service-connected lumbar stenosis with radiculopathy.

The Board found no relationship between the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and her service-connected muscle strain, concluding that there is no evidence to support a secondary service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc and joint disease of the cervical spine without evidence of radiculopathy is related to his active military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a lumbar spine injury, left hip disability, and left leg radiculopathy have been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and lumbosacral degenerative disc disease have been granted. The hypertension is rated at zero percent; the right lower extremity radiculopathy at ten percent before August 20, 2007 and twenty percent after that date; and the lumbosacral degenerative disc disease at twenty percent effective July 6, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction was denied as there is no evidence of penile deformity. The Veteran is currently in receipt of special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, even though they do not result in a combined 100 percent schedular evaluation.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a low back condition and denied an evaluation in excess of 10% for left ankle sprain. The effective date for the current 10% evaluation was not earlier than December 21, 2006.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome is not related to her military service or a service-connected disorder, and thus denied her claim for service connection. The criteria for specially adapted housing were also not met due to the absence of loss or loss of use of both upper extremities as to preclude locomotion.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is rated at 10 percent, and his claim for service connection for detached retina of the right eye was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected low back disability and lumbar radiculopathy have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and a right clavicle disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions as being incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board found no evidence of current radiculopathy of the left leg and denied service connection.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and sciatica have been rated at the maximum allowable under current criteria. The Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for service-connected lumbar disc herniation and right lower radiculopathy, as well as his requests to establish service connection for various knee and hip disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome and associated right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his GERD and military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a comprehensive medical opinion addressing his employability due to service-connected disabilities and whether he is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.