Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board granted an effective date of July 25, 2016, for the grant of service connection and ratings for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of July 18, 2023, for the award of a 100 percent rating for liver cancer and SMC housebound.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back condition and right lower extremity radiculopathy as new VA examinations are needed to determine their nature and etiology.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to an inadequate statement of reasons or bases in its previous decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use due to several lower extremity disabilities, as no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump with a prosthesis.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder from May 1, 2019 to August 31, 2021; denied an increased rating in excess of 70 percent thereafter. The Board also granted 20 percent ratings for femoral nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity, right lower extremity, left club foot with pes planus and plantar fasciitis, right club foot with pes planus and plantar fasciitis, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity from May 1, 2019 to February 4, 2022; denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for right upper and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as denied the remaining claims including fibromyalgia, erectile dysfunction, GERD, urinary frequency/incontinence, and radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain an expert opinion from an orthopedist.

The Board remands the claims for further development to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion that reconciles the October 2019 private medical report and the March 2020 VA examination report.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for stroke residuals of right leg weakness involving the posterior tibial, external popliteal, musculocutaneous, anterior tibial, internal popliteal, and sciatic nerves but granted separate noncompensable ratings for stroke residuals of right leg weakness involving the obturator nerve, external cutaneous nerve of the thigh, and ilio-inguinal nerve as of June 11, 2021.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including verification of service records and obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD, granted a TDIU from December 3, 2020, and denied service connection for various conditions.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an effective date of April 11, 2023, but no earlier, for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, femoral nerve. The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, femoral nerve.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and a higher rating, finding no evidence that the conditions arose prior to October 26, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for a right lower extremity disability and left lower extremity disability, both characterized by sciatic-type pain, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability. The Board also granted an initial 10 percent rating for right knee disability (based on limitation of extension) and a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability.

The Board denied an increased rating for a thoracolumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, but granted a 10 percent initial disability rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and a separate rating for left lower extremity femoral radiculopathy, finding that his lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The appeal for an evaluation in excess of 60 percent from March 1, 2021 for right knee degenerative changes status post right total knee replacement was denied. The issues related to the right hip and low back were remanded for further examination.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, PTSD, and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease. The issues related to radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, right knee disability, and TDIU were remanded.