Hip decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to address whether the Veteran's right hip and low back disabilities are secondary to his service-connected knee, ankle, and ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for neck, bilateral hip, bilateral leg, and bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners. The Veteran's service-connected gout is presumed to be related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for sinusitis, rhinitis, and right hip disability have been dismissed as moot due to the Board's March 19, 2023 decision.,Service connection for restless leg syndrome and deviated septum has not been established.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right hip disability is related to service or caused by his service-connected disabilities, and for obtaining additional VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that further remand is necessary to obtain adequate nexus opinions for the Veteran's cervical spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip disabilities. The VA examiner failed to provide sufficient rationale in their previous opinions.

The Veteran's initial rating for migraines is granted at a 50 percent, but the hip condition issue is remanded due to lack of medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his back pain, bilateral knee conditions, and bilateral hip conditions. The case will be returned to the Board after these actions are completed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development of evidence, particularly regarding the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. The issues are now pending for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right and left hip disabilities from March 13, 2019 due to insufficient consideration of the ameliorating effects of medication during the October 2022 VA examination.

Service connection for a right ankle disability and nerve damage, including bilateral CTS, is granted.,Service connection for a neck disability is denied.,Service connection for a right hip disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his right shoulder, knee, hip, ankle, elbow, headaches, neck, chest pains, and dental issues. The VA will provide these examinations and obtain the necessary opinions.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions and need for additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck condition and low back condition. The claims for left shoulder condition and left hip condition are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining a VA examiner's curriculum vitae and private medical records. The RO will also schedule the Veteran for additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his hip, shoulder, knee, and foot disabilities.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder is not service-connected as there was no in-service diagnosis and no current disability.,Right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, and left hip condition are not service-connected due to lack of evidence of an in-service injury or illness.,Low back disability is not service-connected because the Veteran did not sustain any in-service incident, illness, or injury related to this condition.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy are also not service-connected as they are secondary to a nonservice-connected low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the probable etiology of the Veteran's right hip disability. The matter is now pending for further development and evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal due to deficiencies in the prior examinations and requests for additional records. The Veteran will need new VA examinations for her sacroiliitis, left hip, and bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinions regarding secondary service connection and direct service connection of a right hip disability. The claim will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Veteran's right hip condition is rated at noncompensable (0%) under DC 5251 for limitation of extension, and at 30% under DC 5252 for limitation of flexion. The Veteran is also rated at 20% under DC 5253 for impairment of the thigh.,The Veteran's right hip condition does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under DC 5251, as extension was limited to less than 5 degrees. It did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30% under DC 5252, as flexion was limited to more than 10 degrees. The Veteran's impairment of the thigh met the criteria for a 20% rating.,The Veteran is currently receiving the maximum schedular ratings for his right hip condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connection is established due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for the back disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability is granted as these conditions are found to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.