Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The case is remanded for further action on the issues of service connection and TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle degenerative joint disease (recharacterized) is rated at 20 percent effective March 7, 2014. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for a TDIU based on his multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine disability, headaches, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain is granted a 20% rating from October 29, 2014 to March 31, 2022. A 40% rating is granted since March 31, 2022 for the same condition. The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 20%. Service connection for cervical spine disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for a determination on whether the Veteran is entitled to TDIU benefits due to his service-connected disabilities, as it may be an issue of unemployability rather than disability rating.

The Veteran's lumbar strain and left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy have been granted initial ratings, with the lumbar strain rated at 20 percent since May 3, 2022. The left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy has a separate rating of 10 percent since September 24, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, urinary incontinence and frequency, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment as of July 29, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and radiculopathy of the LLE, finding no current disabilities or causal relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 50 percent, but no higher. His right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are both rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded for further development due to the complexity of the issues.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right knee condition as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to active duty.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence was approximately balanced in favor of finding the symptoms more closely approximated the criteria for a 30 percent rating due to severe pain.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings and effective dates was denied. The left knee issues were addressed, with a 10 percent rating granted for instability and a 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage. Right and left lower extremity radiculopathy issues resulted in 20 percent ratings effective January 22, 2015, but no higher ratings were granted. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied, as he did not meet the criteria for a combined rating of at least 60% due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed because his authorized representative requested withdrawal of the appeal.

Effective September 22, 2011, service connection for right and left lower extremity sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathy has been granted with a rating of 40 percent each.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings due to inadequate reasons and bases provided in previous decisions. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right lower extremity neurological disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches, a cervical spine disability with bilateral radiculopathy, and bursitis of the hips. The Veteran's current conditions are considered to be related to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral pes planus.