Hip decisions — 2008

The veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine has been rated at 10 percent, but his claims for left hip, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities have all been denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left wrist disability, gastrointestinal disorder, and right hip disability. The only medical opinion provided did not support a relationship between these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further proceedings, including scheduling a VA examination and readjudicating the claim.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right knee disability is rated at 10%.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right hip and left shoulder disabilities, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 20, 2004 for his TDIU award. The effective date was fixed based on when he filed his informal claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's left hip disability and assigned a 10 percent rating, effective from December 1, 2005. The claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the veteran for VA examinations to assess his left knee and right hip conditions. The claims will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and outstanding post-service medical records.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of a left mid-thigh laceration scar, service connection for post-operative residuals of low back injury and right hip disability were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of these claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, periodontal disease, right elbow disability, left hip disability, varicose veins in both lower extremities, toenail fungus, and cluster and tension headaches. The appeals are all dismissed as the evidence does not support these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for left hip disability, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a left knee disability and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. However, the claims for service connection for left hip and low back disabilities are denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO via videoconference. The case will be returned to the Board after this is done.

The veteran's histiocytosis X and right hip disability were evaluated, but the claims for increased ratings were denied as there was no evidence of a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of his claimed conditions, including an inguinal hernia, right knee disability, low back disability, right hip disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board is remanding the case for further development due to questions regarding the exact nature and etiology of the veteran's hip disabilities and lumbar spine condition, as well as potential aggravation by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for his service-connected knee conditions, pancreas condition, diabetes mellitus, low back condition, kidney condition, prostate condition, neck condition, left wrist condition, right wrist condition, colon/intestine condition, and left hip condition. The veteran was also denied service connection for a bladder condition and a stomach disorder.

The veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to a left hip disability caused by VA surgery is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing medical records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hip disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The VA examiner concluded there was no temporal relationship between the veteran's current hip disability and his military service.