Hip decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case for an adequate VA examination to determine if any current diagnosed hip disability is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by military service or a service connected disability, including the bilateral knee condition. The Veteran's claim remains pending and will be readjudicated after the requested development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left hip disability has been denied as there is no medical evidence of a current left hip disability in the record.

The Veteran's left hip disability has been manifested by pain, weakness, stiffness, deformity, instability, locking, and lack of endurance with flexion to 80 degrees and abduction to 35 degrees. The criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's left hip disability was not aggravated by service and denied his claims for left knee and low back disabilities due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as his claims for service connection for a left hip disability and low back disability. The Board finds that new and material evidence has been submitted to support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the records necessary to adjudicate his claims had not been located and that he was provided with proper VCAA notice.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left hip, right hip, and left shoulder disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for any of his claimed disabilities, including low back, bilateral hip, left knee, bilateral foot, and bilateral hand disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a left wrist laceration do not warrant an initial schedular disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's left foot disability, specifically post-surgical residuals of left foot calcaneus fracture with short extensor muscle tear, metatarsal dislocation and traumatic arthritis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service, or by a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip disabilities but denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and right and left hip disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition during service or post-service that is related to the Veteran's military service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hip and knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for further examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hip disability, including whether it is related to his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran withdrew from her appeal all claims except for the claim of increase for panic disorder. The Board dismissed these claims as withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for left ankle, left hip, left knee and low back disabilities to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC. The AMC will arrange for a VA compensation examination to reassess the severity of these orthopedic disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee, bilateral hip, and low back disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on appeal are being remanded to the RO for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his hip, knee, shoulder, wrist, heel, and ankle disability claims remain unresolved.

The Veteran seeks service connection for low back and right hip disabilities. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions, as well as their relationship to his in-service accident.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip and leg disability as secondary to his service-connected left hip disability, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing right hip disorder prior to service. The opinion also found that the current right hip disability is not caused or aggravated by the service-connected left hip disability.