Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has granted a 40 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral pain with radiculopathy, which is currently rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board finds that the veteran's cervical spine disorder was not incurred in service, is not related to a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with left sciatica, hypertension, residuals of a right thumb fracture and residuals of a right middle finger fracture. The veteran's claims were denied for ratings in excess of the assigned noncompensable or 10 percent ratings.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that the disability did not meet or approximate criteria warranting higher ratings under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board finds that the veteran's cervical spine disability is related to her military service and grants service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. The maxillary sinusitis with headaches are rated at 30 percent, and the left knee disability remains at 10 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg disability and an increased rating for his low back disability. The veteran does not have a separate chronic right leg disability, and the preponderance of evidence is against secondary service connection for the claimed right leg disability. The claim for an increased rating for the low back disability was denied as well.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar disc disease and L5 radiculopathy, with a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), meet the criteria for specially adapted housing due to loss of use of both lower extremities.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude him from securing and following any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience. With resolution of reasonable doubt in the veteran's favor, a total compensation rating based on individual unemployability is granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of his claims, including review of revised rating criteria.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating and TDIU are both pending. The Board is remanding the increased rating claim to allow for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a genitourinary disorder, back disorder, and residuals of a head injury. The denial was based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected spondylolisthesis L4 on L5 with severe degenerative lumbar arthritis; right sided radiculopathy with sciatica, as there is no evidence of residuals of a vertebra fracture or complete bony fixation (ankylosis) of the spine.

The veteran's claims for service connection for loss of sensation in the legs, headaches, and bilateral knee disorder were denied as not well grounded. The claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD from July 15, 1999 was also denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection of several disorders, including a right shoulder disorder and neck disorder, was granted by the RO on January 2, 2001. The Board denied an earlier effective date due to lack of evidence supporting such a request.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with right L4-L5 radiculopathy and a total rating for compensation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected low back disorder and cervical spine disorder has been granted, with effective dates set at June 19, 1990 for the lower back condition and December 20, 1993 for the cervical spine disorder.

The Board has jurisdiction over issues related to the evaluations for lumbar myositis, dorsal spine myositis and degenerative joint disease, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The evaluation of these conditions is mixed, with some granted and others not.

The Board found that the appellant is not entitled to compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for surgery at a VA Medical Center in February 1978, as there was no additional disability resulting from the procedure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine and sciatica are not due to any injury or event in service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.