Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no current chronic right shoulder disability, including as a manifestation of cervical spine radiculopathy. Therefore, service connection for the claimed condition was denied.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral foot fungus, vision loss, PTSD, and back disorder were not incurred during active military service.,Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board finds that the veteran has a current cervical spine disability (neuritis/radiculopathy) that is related to her service-connected left shoulder disability, and grants service connection for this condition as secondary to her left shoulder disability. The claim for service connection for left ankle instability remains pending.

The veteran's chronic lumbosacral strain was granted a 20 percent rating effective September 26, 2003. The issue of an earlier effective date for the 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for higher ratings due to additional development of his lumbar spine disability and evaluation of left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right hand. The left hand disability is rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, L4-L5 and L5-S1, with radiculopathy and spondylosis and degenerative joint disease.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 1, 1989 for the award of an 80 percent rating for the veteran's neurological residuals of a gunshot wound to the left thigh resulting in sciatic nerve impairment and left ankle triple arthrodesis.

The Board has determined that the residuals of a right sciatic nerve injury are at least as likely as not caused by a service-connected right knee disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 60 percent, the highest available rating under the amended criteria for evaluating intervertebral disc syndrome. The claim was granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability warrants a single 40 percent evaluation, effective September 23, 2002.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his lumbosacral myofascial pain/osteoarthritic degeneration with radicular symptoms was denied by the Board, as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected lumbosacral strain, finding that the disability did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to lack of severe symptoms or incapacitating episodes.

The veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The veteran's claim for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment was denied as he does not meet the criteria for such assistance due to his current service-connected disabilities. However, he is eligible for adaptive equipment only.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current back disability, including lumbar paravertebral myositis, spondylotic changes at L5, history of low back strain, and radiculopathy at L4-5, is related to service. The hearing loss claim remains pending as it involves a question of medical causation.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, residuals of a supraspinatus tear of the right shoulder, and residuals of right knee cartilage repair with degenerative joint disease were denied as there was no evidence meeting the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The veteran's right brachial plexus nerve injury with radiculopathy was rated at 70 percent effective October 3, 2001. The veteran's trapezius myositis was also rated at 70 percent effective October 3, 2001.

The veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for traumatic hematuria and a higher evaluation for his left knee injury are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.