Hip decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for right leg pain, finding that his claimed condition is already considered in his existing service-connected disabilities (right knee, hip, and ankle).

The Board has decided to remand the cases of the Veteran for further examination and opinion regarding his right hip, right ankle, and hearing loss disabilities. Specifically, they need to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected right knee disability or if they were caused by noise exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for left hip condition, right hip condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's current disability picture does not meet the criteria for a higher rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hip condition is at least as likely as not due to a motor vehicle accident he experienced during active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence to support her assertions of in-service injury or a current disability related to military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities, including back, right hip, and knee disabilities. The main reasons are the inability to determine if these conditions were incurred during active duty due to incomplete personnel records from the Air Force Reserve and Army National Guard, and the need for further examinations to assess whether current disabilities are secondary to service-connected foot and ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for post-operative total left hip replacement, a left knee condition (claimed as a left leg condition), bilateral shoulder conditions (claimed as secondary to non-service connected left hip and left leg conditions), and a right hip condition (claimed as secondary to non-service connected left hip and left leg conditions).

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, sleep apnea, left shoulder condition, low back condition, bilateral hip condition, bilateral shin splints, and right thigh condition (secondary to low back) have been granted. The remaining issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back condition, dental condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and bilateral foot condition, all related to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to issues related to scheduling a VA examination for assessing the severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee and right hip disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disability as secondary to his service-connected left hip and right foot disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, and pericarditis with syncope as due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness related to Persian Gulf War service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left hip disability, and right hip disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran's back pain during service is noted, but there are no definitive records linking his current hip disabilities directly to his back condition.

The Board denied service connection for lower back, right hip, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbosacral sprain, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, hypertension, and a right hip disability due to new evidence submitted by the appellant. The appeals are now pending with appropriate examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and right hip disabilities due to incomplete records, need for additional examinations, and need to clarify service connection theory.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, wrist disabilities, hand disabilities, hip disabilities, irritable bowel syndrome, and allergic rhinitis have been denied as the evidence does not support a link to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence. The claims of service connection for other disabilities remain remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for thoracolumbar spine disability and bilateral hip disability due to insufficient examination findings regarding their etiology.