Hip decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disability, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current right hip disability is causally related to his in-service complaints of hip pain.

The Board has remanded the claim for a new VA examination and etiology opinion to determine if the Veteran's left hip disability is related to his service-connected back or knee conditions, or if it was caused by an injury during ACDUTRA in June 2007.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hip condition, finding that his current disability is related to an in-service injury and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's left hip condition prior to her total hip arthroplasty in October 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right hip disabilities due to insufficient consideration of his reports of continuous symptoms since active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed. The appeal regarding the cervical spine disability is still pending as new and material evidence has not been received. Appeals for OSA, right hip, and right shoulder disabilities are remanded due to lack of medical opinion linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's request for a higher rating on his right knee disability and SMC based on aid and attendance is also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of teeth and right hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The claim for service connection for a generalized bone disability, including osteoporosis and osteomalacia, is denied. The claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20% for lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD) is granted. The claim of entitlement to service connection for a right hip disability is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and right hip disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and her service-connected left foot and lumbar spine disabilities.,Additionally, the Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and left knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to her service-connected left foot and/or lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for ratings in excess of 10 percent for right knee and right hip disabilities, so the Board dismissed these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, right hip condition, right knee condition, right ankle condition, and right foot condition due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The claims are reopened but further evaluation is needed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for gastrointestinal, right hip, and low back disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or that any such disabilities began during service.,The Veteran's service connection claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae (persistent rashes) is denied due to lack of documented in-service treatment and the absence of a chronic condition requiring a shaving profile.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness is also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee and left hip disabilities, finding that further examination is needed to determine their etiology and whether they are related to service-connected right knee conditions. The claims will be delayed due to these additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip disability and back disability, both secondary to his left knee disability. The rating for his right knee disability is also being remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The reduction in rating for diabetes mellitus from 40 to 20 percent, effective January 1, 2018, was proper. Service connection has been established for PTSD, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathies of the sciatic and femoral nerves, prostate cancer residuals, right knee disability, left knee disability, and service-connected conditions that have not resulted in a higher rating.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service connected. The lumbar, cervical, and left hip disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right ankle and left hip disabilities are rated at 30% combined, with the right ankle disability rated at 20%. The claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for the right ankle disability is denied. The claim for TDIU is also denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination reports and inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection, and total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are currently under review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle, back, hip, and knee conditions due to incomplete medical opinions and lack of an examination.

The Board has determined that new evidence warrants readjudication of the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right hip disabilities. The case is now REMANDED to obtain a VA examination.