Hip decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claims for service connection of left and right hip conditions. The claims are now remanded for further examination and evaluation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability, including as due to service-connected residuals of a right tibia and fibula fracture with arthritic changes of the right knee; a left hip disability; and radiculopathy of bilateral lower extremities. The evidence does not support these claims.

Service connection is denied for a right hip disability, right ankle disability, pes planus, GERD, and bruxism.,The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disability, to include as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, is denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have or has had a current diagnosis of a bilateral hip disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hip, knee, and ankle conditions due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient development and lack of medical opinions regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea and left hip disability. The claims will be re-adjudicated after further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has added over 300 pages of VA treatment records to the claims file, which may be relevant to the Veteran's appeals. The AOJ needs to review this new evidence and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case before making a decision on the issues.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right hip disability due to new and material evidence. The claims for both right hip and left toe joint disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, bipolar disorder, and denied service connection for headaches, bilateral hip conditions, and diabetes. The rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine remains at 20 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for shoulder, neck, right hip disabilities and ulcerative colitis with stomach issues due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's current right hip disability is related to service. The Veteran contends that he incurred a right hip disability during service, and his wife asserts continuous right hip pain since service.

The Veteran's recurrent right hip pain is attributed to his service-connected low back disorder and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The Board denied service connection for a chronic right hip disability as it was already associated with other service-connected conditions. For TDIU, the Veteran met the criteria due to his multiple service-connected disabilities, but the Board found he is only capable of marginal employment.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and denied service connection for left hip and left ankle disabilities. The cervical spine disability is found to be related to active service, while the left hip and left ankle disabilities are not.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, migraine and cluster headaches, plantar fasciitis, right foot, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability is granted. The issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for right hip, left knee (claimed as degenerative joint disease), and chronic bronchitis. However, it granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral shin splints, bilateral knee disability (to include as secondary to bilateral shin splints), low back disability (to include as secondary to bilateral shin splints), bilateral hip disability (to include as secondary to bilateral shin splints), right shoulder condition, and upper back/neck disability have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's service connection claims are currently pending on a secondary basis to his previously denied claims of bilateral shin splints.

Service connection for lumbar spine strain is granted. A 10 percent rating is granted for the Veteran’s right ring finger scar from May 6, 2013, and a compensable rating (i.e., a rating higher than 0 percent) prior to that date is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional records, including private treatment records from Dr. Byrd.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ankle and right hip disabilities. The case will be remanded to obtain a VA examination and review of medical records.