Hip decisions — 2019

The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia were granted service connection. The claims for right and left ankle disabilities, neck disability, back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and acquired psychiatric disability were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a lack of medical examinations and opinions regarding the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed disabilities. The Veteran is not afforded an examination or opinion on whether he suffered from head injuries, right-hand, right-foot, low back, cervical spine, bilateral leg, and hip disabilities during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, right hip disability, right leg pain, left leg numbness, and right leg numbness. The Veteran is also being asked to provide updated VA treatment records and undergo a VA examination to determine the nature and origin of his bilateral leg numbness, right hip disability, and congestive heart failure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for total right shoulder replacement, total right hip replacement, and total left hip replacement. The Board found that there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology after service to support these claims.,Service connection was also denied for residuals of a right ankle injury.

The Veteran's left hip condition and right lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as secondary to his service-connected back disability. The effective date for the award of service connection is not specified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased laryngeal stenosis, right knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability due to incomplete evaluations and a lack of medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a prostate disability, claimed as prostatitis and prostate cancer; an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD); and a chronic joint pain disability. The Veteran contends these disabilities are related to his military service in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for left hip, right hip, left ankle, and right ankle conditions secondary to service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran's bilateral hip and ankle conditions are being remanded for further examination and analysis.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran's left hip condition, right hip condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the current VA examination is inadequate and remands for further evaluation of the Veteran's bilateral hip condition and hearing loss. The claims are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for readjudication.

The Board denied service connection for right hip disability, left knee disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity. The Veteran's assertions of continuity of symptomatology were largely not credible due to the absence of any report of symptoms until many years after separation from service.,The Board found no evidence of a right hip injury or disease during service, nor did it establish continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left hip disabilities, as well as his claim for TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding her service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for sinusitis, service connection for a lumbar spine disability, service connection for a left hip disability, and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right hip strain status post fracture are all remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service connected. The remaining claims for right ankle disability, left hip and leg disabilities, back disability, bilateral hand disabilities, and PTSD are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a left hip condition, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition was aggravated by military service. Service connection for a hernia is denied as there are no current manifestations of the disability during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and new evidence. The issues include thoracic spine, lumbar spine, hip, left leg neurological disability, and left foot drop disabilities that are claimed as secondary to cervical spine myelopathy or TBI.

The Veteran's bladder condition is not diagnosed, and his hip, shoulder, and neck disabilities have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the right hip disability was granted. The claims for sleep disorder (claimed as Sleep Apnea) and migraine were denied, as they are not separate disabilities from PTSD and fibromyalgia. The rating for PTSD remains at 70 percent, and the rating for fibromyalgia remains at 40 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The appeals of the claims of entitlement to service connection for a sleep disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a bilateral hip condition are dismissed. The issue of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent prior to July 25, 2016, is remanded.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left knee, left hip, and right shoulder conditions have been reopened. The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.