Hip decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fungal dermatitis, left hip disability, and left knee disability are related to her active service. The sinus condition and chronic allergies, as well as the gynecological disorder (cysts and associated scarring), have not been established as being related to her service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, ankle disabilities and tendonitis. The Board finds that a VA examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, right hip disabilities, right knee disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sinus disability, left knee disability, acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD), and swollen neck glands. The evidence submitted since the previous denial was found not to be new and material.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed hip, leg, knee or right hand disability. The May 2009 VA examination did not reveal any arthritis in these joints.

The Veteran was treated for various conditions during service, but there is no competent evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.,There are no current diagnoses and the medical opinions indicate that any diagnosed conditions did not begin in service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to deficiencies in the VA examination report dated on February 6, 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right shoulder or right hip disability due to disease or injury incurred in service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's back, bilateral hip and bilateral knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the request of his authorized representative.

The Board found that the Veteran's right hip disability and left hip disability were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated, and is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by, service-connected degenerative disc disease, residual of low back injury.,The Board also found that there was no demonstration by competent clinical, or competent and credible lay, evidence of record that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease, residual of low back injury, results in unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining additional medical records.

The Veteran's right hip, gastrointestinal, bilateral foot, respiratory, and sinus disabilities are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's claimed right leg, left leg, and hip disabilities and service or a service-connected disability. As such, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The left knee chondromalacia was not rated higher than 10 percent, the bilateral hip disability and low back disability were not found to be related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and outstanding service records. The claims for service connection for left hip and right knee disabilities are pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the notice and scheduling of a VA medical examination for the right hip disability. The low back claim is also being reopened.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have residuals of a cold injury, and therefore service connection for cold injury residuals is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disability was denied. The Board found no objective evidence of a current disability and concluded that the Veteran did not have a bilateral hip disability as a result of his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a right groin and/or right hip condition is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the disability was caused by an event not reasonably foreseeable.