Hip decisions — 2022

The Board has decided that the VA did not obtain all necessary service treatment records and other relevant medical records. The Veteran's claim for left hip disability is remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for the Veteran's bilateral hips, hands, head injury, left elbow, and shoulders due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for seasonal allergic rhinitis with headaches has been withdrawn and is dismissed.,New and material evidence having been received, the application to reopen claims of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and left hip disability have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding his right knee injuries, hip disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back, left hip, and left knee disabilities did not have their onset during service or within one year of discharge. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.,The VA examiners provided opinions concluding that there is no causal relationship between the Veteran's current back, left hip, and left knee disabilities and his service.

Service connection is granted for a back disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left and right hip disabilities, and left and right knee disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability.,The evidence supports that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service injuries and are aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claims of increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, eczematoid dermatitis, chronic, feet; service connection for a respiratory condition; left hip condition; left knee condition; and hemorrhoids. The Veteran has challenged the competency of VA examiners who have administered examinations during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the development conducted does not comply with the July 2021 Board remand and thus, the case is being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and migraine headaches. Service connection is also granted for hip disability, knee disability, bilateral pes planus, and hypertension. The claims for hip disability, knee disability, bilateral pes planus, and hypertension are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left hip disability has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been withdrawn and are dismissed.,Service connection is denied for a left hand disability.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot disability, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral hip disability. The appeal is remanded to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, a right hip condition, and diabetes mellitus type II were granted. The claim for chronic kidney disease is remanded.

The Veteran's back condition, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the spine, is granted service connection. The right hip condition remains in dispute and requires further examination.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted as service-connected, while the right hip disability remains pending and remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's right hip disability is service-connected, but the evidence does not show that she required at least one month of convalescence following surgery for her condition. Therefore, her claim for a temporary total evaluation based on convalescence due to surgery related to her right hip disability has been denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right hip disabilities need further examination to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for GERD is dismissed.,A 30 percent disability rating, but no higher, was granted for the service-connected posttraumatic migraine headaches before February 7, 2020. The Veteran is currently receiving the maximum allowable schedular rating for this condition.,For the period on appeal from February 7, 2020 onwards, a higher disability rating for the service-connected posttraumatic migraine headaches was denied.,A separate 10 percent disability rating, but no higher, was granted for left knee instability. The Veteran's left knee flexion is limited to no worse than 110 degrees with pain at full flexion and extension is to 0 degrees. There has been no evidence of ankylosis or semilunar cartilage dislocation.,Service connection was denied for the service-connected left shoulder, right shoulder, left hip, and right hip disabilities.,The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected posttraumatic migraine headaches is remanded. Service connection for TBI residuals as part of PTSD remains pending.,Service connection was denied for the service-connected left hip and right hip disabilities.,The matter regarding service connection for TBI residuals as part of PTSD is referred to the AOJ for clarification.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and ankle disabilities, as well as a gastrointestinal disability, were denied. The Board found that these conditions are not related to his active duty service or any service-connected condition.,The Veteran was unable to attend the required VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hip disability manifested by pain, finding that it is related to active duty service and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.