Hip decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right hip, left hip, and back disabilities due to a lack of VA treatment records from September 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for tailbone, right hip, left hip, and neck disabilities. Service connection for peripheral artery disease is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right knee and hip conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination. The Board found new and material evidence for reopening his previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, left hip, and left knee disabilities due to lack of a medical opinion linking these conditions to his military service. The same is true for his prostate and heart disabilities.

The Veteran's initial ratings for service-connected lumbar facet degeneration with sclerosis and DDD, left knee strain, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, cervical spine (neck) disability with muscle spasms, left shoulder disability with nerve damage, and left hip disability have all been denied.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be caused by his service-connected depressive disorder.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran’s tinnitus to active duty service or any other condition. The claim for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for left hip, leg, shoulder, and heart disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran needs VA examinations to determine if he has these conditions and whether they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a 70 percent disability rating for an adjustment disorder from February 24, 2015 is granted. The appeal concerning secondary service connection for hip and ankle conditions related to IBS is also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete compliance with previous directives. The Veteran's private medical records need to be obtained from specific providers.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder with anxiety is September 17, 2015.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for limitation of flexion and abduction of her left hip are denied.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for right hip and right knee disabilities due to new evidence submitted since the April 2015 decision. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending, as is his request for an initial compensable rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left hip and bilateral knee disabilities. The right hip disability is related to his antalgic gait caused by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right hip disability is related to his service-connected disabilities, specifically his bilateral plantar warts. The VA examiner must address the medical evidence showing an altered gait and provide separate findings and rationales for causation and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence addressing whether his bilateral knee and hip disabilities are related to his service or if his right knee disability is secondary to his left knee disability. The case will be reviewed on a de novo basis as new VA treatment records were received after a prior final denial.

The Veteran's low back condition is granted service connection. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise regarding his right hip, left shoulder, left wrist, left knee, and left foot disabilities, granting them service connection as well.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, left hip, and left elbow tendonitis due to incomplete development of records from Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right knee disability may be service-connected as secondary to his left hip disability, but needs further clarification on whether the aggravation of the right knee by the left hip is at least as likely as not.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for nerve impairment in the left lower extremity, right ear hearing loss, and bilateral hip disability due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an additional VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected right hip disabilities, including limitation of adduction, extension, and flexion. The examination should consider flare-ups and repetitive use.