Hip decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to insufficient medical opinions and inadequate examination reports for determining the etiology of the Veteran's right hip disability, as well as the current severity of his right knee condition.

Service connection for dermatitis, left cubital tunnel syndrome, right hip disability, left hip disability, right shoulder disability, bilateral thumb disability, right first toe disability, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, left varicocele, and testicle atrophy has been denied.,The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea, nephrolithiasis with hematuria, right knee iliotibial band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome, allergic rhinitis, right plantar fasciitis, hyperhidrosis, hemorrhoids, and generalized headaches have been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service. The preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s bilateral hip disability is causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip replacement, right hip disability, and low back disability were denied. The claim for increased rating of PTSD and depressive disorder was also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left hand, back, neck, and bilateral hip disabilities due to a lack of medical records from the Veteran's incarceration period.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for bilateral hip and leg conditions due to inadequate VA examinations. A new examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the criteria to establish a qualifying hearing loss disability have not been met.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as her condition is causally related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his hip, knee, ankle, lumbar spine, and radiculopathy conditions. The claims are also remanded for a rating in excess of the current 10 percent ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and right ankle.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, respiratory disability, CTS, heart disability, fibromyalgia, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's bilateral trochanteric pain syndrome (hip condition) has been granted service connection due to its undiagnosed nature. The left knee chondromalacia patellae and sinusitis have not met the criteria for a higher rating, while anal fissures and tinea corporis with tinea capital have received appropriate ratings.

The Veteran's left hip disability is currently rated at 20 percent prior to July 3, 2017, and at 30 percent from September 1, 2018. The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed due to the increase in severity of her condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but finds that further development is needed to determine their etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The Veteran's bilateral foot disability (pes planus) was also denied as it existed prior to service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, right hip and left hip disabilities, right foot and left foot disabilities, back disability, and reopened the claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disability. The claims were all denied.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen the claims for service connection for a left hip disability and low back disability is granted. The appeals for service connection for TBI and PTSD are denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his left ankle and bilateral hearing loss disabilities have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for right hip and low back disabilities, as well as TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The VA examinations need to address whether his lumbar spine, right knee, right hip, left hip, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has decided that new VA examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's neck, shoulder, back, and hip disabilities. The claims for service connection will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for fibromyalgia, right wrist disability, left hip disability, right face condition (trigeminal neuralgia), and right testicle condition due to procedural errors in previous rating decisions. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are being reviewed again to determine if they are related to his claimed conditions.