Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for service connection for radiculopathy, left lower extremity; arthritis, left hip; and arthritis, right hip are all granted as secondary to his service-connected Marie Strumpell arthritis of the spine.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for service connection of degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and left lower extremity radiculopathy, both dating back to July 14, 2015. The claim for a compensable evaluation for the Veteran's lumbar scar is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and other procedural issues. The Veteran's service-connected low back strain with spondylosis, as well as his radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, need further evaluation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from prior to October 24, 2017 was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.,A TDIU rating was granted starting July 1, 2020 due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine degenerative joint disease, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, right ankle sprain, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined service-connected disability rating of 80 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for macrocytic anemia and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity were denied as there was no evidence showing hemoglobin levels below 10 grams per deciliter or more than mild symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, pseudofolliculitis barbae, radiculopathy, right lower extremity associated with degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine, radiculopathy, left lower extremity associated with degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine, right elbow fracture postoperative, and tinnitus, have resulted in the Veteran being unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 25, 2021.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his peripheral neuropathy conditions are remanded due to incomplete medical records. The Board requires additional VA opinions and development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities due to inadequate examinations in prior decisions. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to determine the current severity of his conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU have been granted ratings of 40 percent since July 25, 2005.

The Veteran's bunions are being remanded for a new VA examination to determine their etiology.,The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded due to inadequate previous examination and the need for additional medical opinion regarding its relationship to service.,The Veteran's unspecified chronic virus, including Lyme Disease and/or Epstein-Barr virus, is being remanded as there are conflicting opinions on its etiology and potential radiation exposure link.,The Veteran's neurological eye disability, specifically Fuch's dystrophy, is being remanded for a supplemental VA medical opinion to address the relationship between her service and these conditions.,The Veteran's sciatica is being remanded due to inadequate previous examination and need for additional medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma, is being remanded as there are conflicting opinions on its etiology and potential radiation exposure link.,The Veteran's lower extremity stress fracture residuals are being remanded for a supplemental VA medical opinion to determine the presence of such residuals.

The Veteran's appeal of an increased rating for chronic lumbar strain was dismissed.,An effective date of February 1, 2017 was granted for service connection for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity.,An effective date of November 2, 2017 was granted for TDIU due to service-connected disorders.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his radiculopathy of the left lower sciatic nerve and lumbar spine condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board finds that a new VA examination is needed to properly assess the severity of these conditions.

The Board has restored a 10 percent rating for service-connected radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, finding that the reduction from 10 percent to non-compensable was not proper due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is found to be etiologically due to injury sustained during active military service, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to the legacy appeal system. The issues remain as part of the pending appeals under the Legacy Appeals System.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and a higher rating were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding cervical spine disability and other specified trauma and stress related disorder, and granted service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to his low back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities due to additional evidence added to the record since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and an initial compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.