Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's sleep apnea was incurred in service and is related to his military service, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and reopened the claim for service connection for left sternoclavicular osteomyelitis. The veteran's wife provided evidence that he had symptoms of snoring and irregular breathing patterns during his period of active service, which she observed since 1987.

The veteran is seeking service connection for sleep apnea. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his sleep apnea, including whether it originated during active duty or is related to his service-connected asthma.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for the veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes, effective as of April 1, 2005.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder warrants a compensable disability rating of 10 percent effective from August 24, 2005.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with right radiculopathy, headaches, and a visual disability. The veteran's lumbar spine disorder is related to his military service, as are his headaches. His visual impairment was noted in service but is not considered service-connected due to its congenital nature.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's sleep apnea and mood disorder were not incurred in service, and denied his claims for increased initial ratings.

The Board has found no medical evidence of record that would warrant a staged rating for the increased rating claim. The veteran's right knee disability was evaluated utilizing Diagnostic Code 5257, and his lumbosacral strain was evaluated under Diagnostic Code 5237 (lumbosacral strain). Both conditions were rated as non-compensably disabling.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, warranting a grant of TDIU.

The veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to procedural issues and representation changes.

The veteran's low back disability, including degenerative disc disease, is currently rated at 10 percent and the claim for an increased rating greater than 10 percent has been denied.

The VA denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, finding that the veteran's condition did not meet criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or intervertebral disc syndrome.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected lumbosacral adhesive arachnoiditis is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The veteran's increased evaluation for facet syndrome with sclerosis, lumbosacral spine was granted. Service connection for cervical radiculopathy and a left knee condition were denied. The veteran's TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain, finding that it did not meet the criteria for such a rating based on the lack of limitation in range of motion or other functional impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an increased evaluation for lumbosacral strain, finding that there was no evidence of onset during active service or a relationship to service. The veteran's claim for hypertension was denied due to lack of continuity of symptomatology with service, while his claim for lumbosacral strain was denied as the disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on range of motion and incapacitating episodes.

The veteran's loss of use of a hand or foot is not due to his service-connected PTSD, and therefore he is not entitled to special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a hand or foot.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected lumbosacral strain, finding that the current 20 percent rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain does not warrant a higher than 10 percent rating due to limitations in range of motion and no findings of ankylosis or other severe disability. The current 10 percent rating is appropriate based on the examination findings.