Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability but has remanded the right-hand disability claim due to inadequate examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination reports and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's back disability and related radiculopathy issues, as well as his right knee limitation of flexion and painful extension, were granted increased ratings. His left knee disability was denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities have been granted ratings from July 1, 2011 to January 23, 2019. The Veteran is now in receipt of a 40 percent rating for his lumbar spine disability. For the period beginning December 14, 2017 to November 18, 2019, he was granted ratings of 20 percent for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve). The Veteran's claims for increased ratings beyond these periods were denied.

The Veteran's appeals seeking increased ratings for lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and right upper extremity radiculopathy have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in writing.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his reported flare-ups.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spondylolisthesis, right shoulder acromioclavicular degenerative hypertrophy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn all of his pending claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for cervical strain, radiculopathy, and right index finger fracture have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for lumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are granted based on evidence showing a nexus between current conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, right wrist disability (including carpal tunnel syndrome), cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have all been denied.,There is no evidence of a current disability in any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from January 2, 2008 onwards. Prior to this date, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran was granted an effective date of May 8, 2008 for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to service-connected disabilities.,The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 29, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for a lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy of the lower extremities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show ankylosis or other conditions warranting a higher rating, and the criteria for a higher rating under IVDS were not met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's hypertension, right hip condition, left hip condition, obesity, migraine headaches, lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathies have not been linked to service or a service-connected disability. As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremities were evaluated separately in this decision.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve is granted a disability rating of 40 percent, but no higher. The right lower and right lumbar radiculopathies are each rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance has been granted. The housebound claim is dismissed due to the grant of SMC by reason of regular need for aid and attendance. The claims for increased evaluations for coronary artery disease and left knee arthroscopy are remanded.