Hip decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no current medical evidence of a chronic disability due to an event or incident of military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to assess his service-connected disabilities and any new or increased disabilities, as well as the impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine condition is not related to his service, and denied his claim for service connection.,The VA examiner concluded there was no causal connection between the veteran's service-connected lumbar pathology and his normal hips, thus denying his claim for bilateral hip condition secondary to a service-connected low back disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, an eye disability (claimed as poor eyesight), a back and hip disability (back pain), and a skin disorder due to Agent Orange exposure. The reasons include insufficient evidence of in-service stressors for PTSD and lack of verifiable events for other conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of his left hip disability and TDIU due to his service-connected right tibia and fibula fracture residuals. The evidence did not support a finding that the left hip disability was incurred in or aggravated by service, nor could it be linked to any service-connected condition.

The veteran's hypertension was denied service connection as it did not manifest within one year of discharge. The right hip disability received a 10% rating, with no change in the effective date.

The Board is remanding the case due to insufficient VCAA notice and failure to obtain SSA records, as well as the lack of a transcript from the veteran's hearing. The claim will be reconsidered with these issues addressed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and hip conditions are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if his current conditions were aggravated by military service or caused by his pre-existing right ankle condition.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a right hip disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's residuals of a left ankle fracture and chronic urinary tract infection, but denied service connection for left knee and hip disabilities. The initial ratings assigned are 30 percent for the urinary tract infection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hip and right knee disabilities are not related to his service-connected or prescribed medications, thus denying both claims.

The veteran's service connected pes cavus is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board denied increased ratings for the bilateral ankle, knee, hip, back, and neck conditions due to lack of evidence supporting a relationship with active service.

The veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, low back disability, obesity, right hip disability, left hip disability, left foot disability, and left knee disability have been denied as there is no evidence of a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, low back disability, obesity, right hip disability, left hip disability, left foot disability, and left knee/ankle disabilities. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The RO granted service connection for residuals of trauma to the right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine with an effective date of December 13, 1998.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding whether the veteran's current right hip disability is related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right hip condition, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for post-operative bilateral hip disability and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal of fourteen service connection issues due to his request for withdrawal. The only remaining issue is tinnitus, which was denied as there is no evidence that it was incurred during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding the nature and cause of the veteran's hip and shoulder disabilities, including recent medical studies. The VA is instructed to obtain additional clinical evidence and coordinate examinations by specialists in neurology, rheumatology, psychiatry, and orthopedics.