Hip decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hip and ankle disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and right hip disabilities have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability due to new and material evidence. The issues of increased ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis and instability, as well as rating for left total knee replacement are remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's left hip disability, sinusitis, and sleep apnea are related to his military service. Specifically, a VA examination is required to assess whether these conditions were aggravated by service or are otherwise related.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed. The appeals for service connection for osteoarthritis of the low back, a left hip condition (to include as secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right hip), bilateral hearing loss, and renal condition are all remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastrointestinal issues, and foot/ankle/hip conditions related to Gulf War service are being remanded due to the need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed or denied. The Board found that the reduction in the rating for left thigh impairment was proper, but did not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities, and left hip disability due to insufficient medical opinions and potential outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left hip disability is dismissed. The Board also remanded the issues regarding rating increases for his right knee subluxation and strain with osteoarthritic changes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of left, right hip disabilities and lumbar spine disability as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected knees.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hip and knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The Veteran is required to be provided with a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and initial ratings for his right-knee, left-knee, and low-back conditions have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable rating for his right-knee condition, a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his low-back condition, and service connection for his right-hip and left-hip conditions have also been dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether a right hip disability is caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate addendum medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability aggravated her right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back, bilateral ankle, and bilateral knee disabilities are related to service. However, due to inadequate medical opinions and outstanding records, the claims must be remanded for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for right heel and Achilles tendon condition, but denied both his claim for service connection for a right hip condition and secondary service connection for that condition. The Board found no new and material evidence in support of these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left hip disability as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing VA examinations to address the nature of the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for hypertension, left hip condition, back condition, and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection due to insufficient examination reports, conflicting evidence regarding severity of disabilities, and lack of discussion on changes in severity throughout the appeal period.