Hip decisions — 2020

The claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities, low back disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), and sleep apnea have been dismissed due to the Veteran not timely initiating an appeal with respect to the June 2014 denial of these claims.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain new medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back and bilateral hip disabilities, as well as their relationship to service-connected knee disabilities. The claims are currently pending.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus and post-operative right hip disability have been granted service connection. The lumbar spine disability is denied as not related to service. Right knee and left knee disabilities are partially granted with various ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral ankle, knee, hip, and back disabilities manifested by pain. The evidence is at least evenly balanced that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the February 2020 remand directives and requires a new VA medical opinion for service connection of left knee and right hip conditions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for chondromalacia patellar with arthralgia, left knee; chondromalacia patellar with arthralgia, right knee; left hip condition; low back condition; and right foot condition due to new evidence received since the March 2014 rating decision. The claims are remanded for further development.

Service connection granted for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, depressive disorder and PTSD. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hip disability. Ratings in excess of 10 percent are denied for left and right knee conditions.

The Board has dismissed all the Veteran's claims for service connection as they are not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various disabilities of the back, hips, thighs, and right knee was reopened due to new and material evidence. The claims were subsequently granted as the evidence supports that these conditions are related to his military service and/or service-connected pes planus.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including low back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability, are remanded due to failure to provide adequate notice regarding scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for left and right hip disabilities due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, left hip, and right hip disabilities as secondary to a service-connected bilateral knee disability.,Service connection was granted for recurrent tinnitus disability.

The Veteran's right hip disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability.,His cervical spine arthritis was previously rated at 10% and remains at 20% from May 28, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right foot, hip, and knee disabilities. The evidence did not establish a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of VA examination attendance, new evidence added since last decision, and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and potential in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The claims will be further developed with examinations by appropriate clinicians.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary due to outstanding treatment records and remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including ankle, hip, and shoulder conditions. The Veteran will need new examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with its January 2020 remand instructions, specifically regarding a VA examination for bilateral hip disability. The Veteran must be scheduled for a new examination and provided proper notice of it.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a right hip disability and residuals of cellulitis of the right lower extremity. The Veteran's representative argues that the examinations were inadequate, particularly regarding the Veteran's military duties and flare-ups of tinea.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a left hip condition due to incomplete service treatment records. The RO is instructed to obtain all available STRs, including those from McClellan Air Force Base Hospital.