Hip decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, lumbar spine, right hip, left knee, right knee, left hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The claims are also remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, right ankle condition, and right hip condition.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back, right hip, right knee, and right ankle disabilities due to outstanding questions regarding diagnoses, functional impairment, and nexus.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been granted, and he is now eligible for a TDIU. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, right eye condition, depression, bilateral foot condition, right knee condition, left shoulder condition, left hip condition, left elbow condition, left knee condition, erectile dysfunction, low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been resolved.

The Board dismissed the appeals on all issues related to service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disability, low back disability, right hip disability, and bilateral pes planus. The Board also found that there was no medical nexus between these disabilities and his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening of service connection for various conditions, finding no new and material evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's right leg shin splints are rated as a slight disability, without affecting the knee or ankle. The claim for service connection for a right hip disability and abdominal disability is denied.,There is no evidence of an onset in service for either condition, with arthritis first shown years after service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to secondary service-connected lower back disability. Additional evidence is needed, including private treatment records from Frankfurt, Germany, and an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral knee and right hip disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disabilities, prostate disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, heart condition, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteopenia, cervical spine disability, neurological impairment of the upper extremities, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and foot disabilities are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is being remanded as his prostatitis may be related to his current prostate disability. Additional development is needed regarding whether he has any residual disability from the prostatitis shown in service.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, chronic gastritis with GERD, and hemorrhoids are being remanded as his most recent examinations in August 2017 were inadequate. Additional development is needed to determine the current functional impairment resulting from these disabilities.,

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus was dismissed as the claim had been fully granted with a maximum schedular rating. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, was reopened due to new evidence received since the previous denial in December 2010. Service connection for a left knee disability is denied, while service connection for a right knee disability remains pending with remand. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his right knee disability is also pending with remand. Service connection for bilateral hip disability is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis. The left hip condition is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a medical professional regarding its relationship to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to inadequate examinations and conflicting opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip and knee conditions, finding that they were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings have been denied. The appeal is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome and right hip condition are granted service connection. The Veteran's back condition, chronic fatigue syndrome, undiagnosed musculoskeletal disease (claimed as muscle pain and joint problems), and neurological problems manifested by in part by memory loss, cognitive difficulties, and excess fatigability are denied service connection.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including the patellectomy and arthritis, is rated at 60 percent effective February 27, 2017. The rating for scars associated with the right knee remains unchanged.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience, preclude gainful employment. The Board grants entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU) effective November 4, 2012.

The Veteran's asthma claim is reopened and granted.,Obstructive sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (generalized anxiety disorder), bilateral hip condition, eye condition, and headache condition are all granted as secondary to service-connected pneumoconiosis.,Low back and neck conditions are denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral SNHL is denied.,An effective date prior to November 15, 2013 for the grant of a 10 percent disability rating for bilateral SNHL and an effective date prior to November 15, 2013 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus are both denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, heart condition, hypertension, bilateral diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet, and several musculoskeletal disabilities. The Board found that there was no evidence to support an in-service onset or aggravation of these conditions.