Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, including those for increased ratings for various conditions and disabilities. The Board is dismissing the appeals as moot.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of a right ankle sprain, left hip sciatica, and migraine headaches have been granted.

The Veteran's combined rating is at least 70% due to his service-connected disabilities, qualifying him for a TDIU. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are sufficient by themselves to render him unemployable.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, associated with facet syndrome and degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, is currently rated at 40 percent under Diagnostic Code 8520. The Board finds this rating to be appropriate based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA videoconference hearing. The issues are related to evaluations for radiculopathy and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and dysthymia, left lower extremity disorder (chronic left ankle sprain with local superficial nerve entrapment), degenerative disk disease and/or stenosis of the cervical and lumbar spine, and right upper extremity disorder (radiculopathy) are all found to be related to her active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a hearing before RO personnel at the earliest opportunity.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition and radiculopathy of the upper extremities due to lack of evidence showing that VA facilities were not feasibly available, or that delay in seeking medical attention would have been hazardous.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not causally or etiologically related to his complaints of pain during service or to a service-connected disability, and was not aggravated by a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a low back disability is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right upper extremity paresthesias, median nerve disability of the right upper extremity, and ulnar nerve disability of the right upper extremity have been granted. The Veteran is also entitled to separate ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities associated with thoracic spine osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA social and industrial survey to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's sciatic neuritis and left knee disability have been granted increased ratings, with the sciatic neuritis receiving a maximum rating of 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed low back, hip, and neurological disorders. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's right lumbar radiculopathy was granted a compensable rating for the period from April 6, 2010 to November 17, 2011. The Board also found that he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of lumbosacral spine spondylolisthesis is being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records from prior to 2000.

The Veteran's low back disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity have been granted service connection with a rating of 40 percent, effective August 11, 2010. Service connection for left foot drop has not been established.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right leg sciatica is dismissed as a freestanding claim due to finality.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, both to include as secondary to lumbar degenerative joint and disc disease with spasm and anterolisthesis of S1/L5. The decision is based on lack of probative evidence showing current disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for left shoulder tendonitis, cervical spine disorder, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability, including lumbar strain with sciatica, is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.