Hip decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not supported by the evidence of record and have been denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to inadequate completion of the requested development. The Veteran's left hip and right shoulder disabilities are being reviewed for service connection.

Service connection granted for bronchial asthma due to aggravation during service.,Service connection denied for right hip condition and left hip condition.,Service connection denied for bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated by service, warranting service connection.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, particularly regarding his right knee and hip disabilities. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, hip, and knee disabilities due to a lack of diagnosed current disability related to active duty service.

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

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of low back disability and bilateral hip disability. The appeal for service connection of acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine, right hip, left knee, right knee, left ankle, right ankle, and left foot disabilities as they are at least as likely as not due to his active service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for low back, left knee, bilateral hip, and bilateral wrist conditions due to new evidence received since the previous denial decisions. The cases are now remanded for further examination and opinion regarding service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for deep vein thrombosis, right hip and knee conditions, and a reduction in the rating of his lumbar spine disability have been granted. The right knee condition is now considered secondary to his service-connected left knee and back disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of his hip conditions and sleep apnea were denied as they are secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left sciatic nerve radicular pain, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve radicular pain, a bilateral hip condition, posttraumatic stress disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder), finding that there was no evidence of in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in her left ear is service-connected, but not for her right ear. The heart condition and hip condition are not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's left hip disability and depression have been granted service connection. The left hip disability is considered a direct result of his military service, while the depression is linked to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and right hip disabilities. The case is therefore being remanded for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a chronic right hip disability related to service and denied his claim for service connection. For his right ankle fracture, the Board determined that the current rating of 10% was appropriate based on the evidence showing moderate limited range of motion.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his service connection claims for left hip and left knee disabilities, finding new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development including obtaining VA and private treatment records, verifying periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA), and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his current hip and knee disabilities are related to service-connected bilateral foot disability or an in-service injury.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disorder and right hip condition as secondary to service-connected right knee disability. The evidence received since the prior denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development regarding the Veteran's right hip disability, specifically whether it is related to his service-connected plantar warts of the feet.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left hip condition, and right hip condition. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.