Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder osteoarthritis due to new examinations being required.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU from June 26, 2019 is granted. The Board also remanded several issues including the rating of genu recurvatum and knee degenerative arthritis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence being added to the record, and further development is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy and increased evaluations for his right forehead scar, right lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbar myositis, and gastritis. The Veteran was granted a separate evaluation of 10 percent for a painful forehead scar.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions have been granted, with some changes in the effective dates and ratings assigned.

The Veteran's sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, was not incurred in service and is not related to any service-connected disability.,The Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis with IVDS has been rated at the maximum of 40 percent since September 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his radiculopathy as secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic lumbar spine disorder, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and depressive disorder as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine, left foot, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy disabilities. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for the lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied, while a TDIU has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected low back strain does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, and he cannot secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an appropriate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The examiner is asked to determine if obesity acts as an intermediate step between his service-connected spine disability and OSA.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip condition has been granted, but the appeal is dismissed as moot because the full benefit sought was already awarded. The Board also remanded three issues: an increased rating for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's reports of flare-ups and limitations on range of motion testing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability has been denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss that meets VA criteria.,Service connection for sleep deprivation was also denied due to lack of a diagnosed condition and functional impairment.

The Veteran's radiculopathy, left upper extremity is currently rated at 30 percent disabling. The Board finds a remand necessary to determine the severity of his condition due to his contentions of worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for deviated nasal septum, left sciatica, and right sciatica have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

A rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar spondylosis is denied.,The application to reopen the claim of service connection for prostate cancer is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and LLE and RLE radiculopathy are not granted due to lack of evidence or insufficient evidence.,Entitlement to TDIU is inextricably intertwined with other claims and cannot be decided at this time.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left leg radiculopathy and atrophy, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.