Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective December 13, 2016. The rating for his right lower extremity radiculopathy remains at 40 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's lower back disability, including whether it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities were denied as there was no evidence showing severe impairment, such as foot drop or paralysis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for increased evaluations or service connection. The Board denied service connection for hypertensive heart disease and denied all issues related to diabetic polyneuropathy of the sciatic nerve and femoral nerves, as well as service connection for erectile dysfunction.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease (DDD), degenerative joint disease (DJD), spondylosis, and spina bifida. Service connection for left lower extremity (LLE) sciatica is also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, back, and neurological disabilities in his upper and lower extremities, as well as his acquired psychiatric disorder and sleep apnea. The claims are also remanded to determine if erectile dysfunction is related to these conditions.

The Veteran's sciatic nerve disability of the right lower extremity was not caused by or aggravated by a May 12, 2009 cervical decompressive laminectomy at the C4 and C5 levels performed at the Ann Arbor VAMC.

The Board has remanded the claims for a lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate examination and failure to address the Veteran's contentions of in-service back pain.

The Veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus is granted as service connected. The Board remanded the issues of service connection for recurrent lumbosacral spine disability, recurrent right shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of adequate medical evidence.

The Veteran's increased ratings claims for lumbar strain with spondylosis and associated lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of sleep impairment (manifested by PND) was granted. The claim for a higher rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is granted with a 20% rating, and the claims for higher ratings for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, painful movement of the right knee, frequent episodes of 'locking' and effusion into the joint in the right knee, and spondylolisthesis are all denied.

The Veteran's post-operative residuals of a herniated lumbar disc and lumbar spondylosis with IVDS are not entitled to a compensable initial rating prior to July 23, 2012. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is not entitled to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 23, 2012.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sciatica and bilateral hip disability, finding that these conditions are not related to his service-connected right foot injury.

The Veteran's back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are all rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations. The Veteran’s right hand disability is also rated at the maximum allowable.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he does not meet the schedular threshold for a TDIU prior to January 30, 2019 due to his service-connected disabilities. The combined rating was at least 70% since July 30, 2013 and 100% effective since January 30, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent prior to October 13, 2020 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected flat-topped talus right foot with arthritic changes. The claim for service connection for bilateral cervical radiculopathy was denied, and a TDIU was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome, sciatica of the right lower extremity, and bilateral femoral radiculopathy due to additional development being required.