Hip decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records from FCI Butner, USP Terre Haute, and USP Lewisburg, as well as any court documents related to a civil claim filed in 1986 or 1987. The claims will be reconsidered after these developments.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding records and a need for additional examination.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed shoulder, low back, ankle, and hip disabilities. The decision also addressed hypertension and respiratory/pulmonary conditions but did not grant any of these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, right and hip disabilities, and a compensable rating for his right fifth toe disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or other etiological factors.

The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to support service connection for bilateral hip disability or disability of the knees and lower legs, as they are not shown to be directly related to the Veteran's active duty. The claims were denied on a direct basis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied as the evidence did not support granting higher disability ratings or a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hip, low back, and left leg disabilities are secondary to his service-connected total left knee replacement.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied as there are no legal grounds to assign a higher evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6260. For ED, the RO has already granted service connection and assigned the minimum (zero percent) evaluation allowed by law.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back, hip, and bilateral knee disabilities did not manifest during her periods of service or were otherwise related to such service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that these conditions are service-connected.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hip disability and left ear hearing loss disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to clarify diagnoses and obtain relevant medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate examination reports and failure to comply with prior remand instructions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for gouty arthritis of the left ankle, psychiatric disability (PTSD), sleep apnea, and right hip disability. The appeals were based on new and material evidence.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including a right ankle condition and its secondary effects on his knees, hips, back, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board will review the evidence to determine if new and material evidence has been submitted and to decide whether these claims should be granted.

The Veteran seeks a TDIU based on his service-connected lumbar spine and left hip disabilities. The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, seeking information from the employer who submitted the February 2010 VA Form 21-4192, scheduling a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities, and adjudicating his claim of entitlement to service connection for left breast cancer.

The Veteran's sinusitis/rhinitis, bilateral hip osteopenia with secondary arthralgias, and fibromyalgia/rheumatoid arthritis are not service-connected. However, the Veteran's bilateral hip osteopenia is found to be related to her service-connected residuals of total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo oophorectomy.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip disabilities on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability. The issue of whether the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is also related to his service-connected low back disability and/or bilateral hip disabilities is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing a supplemental opinion regarding the nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected plantar warts.