Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine DDD and DJD, along with associated radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, has been granted higher ratings. The right lower extremity radiculopathy was also granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to their inextricability with other pending schedular claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated medical records and for a VA examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected back disability and radiculopathy.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of ovarian hydrosalpinx and left sciatica as there is no competent medical evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's varicose veins of the right thigh, lumbar spondylosis and discogenic disease, and left lower extremity radiculopathy had onset in service and are related to such. As a result, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy were not found to be related to service or his service-connected lower back disability. The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was rated at 60 percent, but a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with scoliosis, left and right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy with diabetic peripheral neuropathy have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a more contemporaneous medical examination.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's lumbar strain, finding that the disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability did not have its onset in service, is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability, and is not otherwise related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and scar on the lower back.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to care for himself and requires the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted, with a 10 percent disability rating effective June 10, 2004. Service connection for scoliosis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine at L4-L5 and L5-S1 with facet arthrosis was also granted.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than September 19, 1996 and March 5, 2012 for service connection of his cervical spine disability and upper extremity radiculopathy have been granted. Effective from these dates, the Veteran is entitled to a 10% rating for each condition.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathies are rated at 20 percent each, effective from October 30, 2007.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back strain with degenerative disc disease and left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with low back strain with degenerative disc disease, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a causal relationship to service.

The Veteran's right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve was rated at 20 percent effective June 3, 2015.

The Board denied entitlement to higher ratings for the Veteran's low back and cervical spine disabilities on an extraschedular basis.