Hip Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remands and inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for a left hip disability, including as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's right knee, right hip, left hip, and bilateral foot conditions are granted as secondary to his service-connected low back condition and sciatic and femoral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.,A 20 percent disability rating for left lower extremity femoral radiculopathy is granted from September 19, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations, particularly regarding TBI-related disabilities.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hair loss claims are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's OSA claim is remanded as the examiner failed to consider her prior sleep disturbances.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded because the examiner did not provide a rationale for denying secondary service connection.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder claim is remanded due to insufficient consideration of medical literature cited by the Veteran’s representative.,The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded as the examination results were inconsistent and the examiner failed to address relevant medical literature.,The Veteran's dizziness claim is remanded because the examiner did not consider whether her dizziness was a symptom of her service-connected headache disability or a separate disorder.,The Veteran's cervical spine, left hand, bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, and foot disabilities claims are all remanded due to inadequate examination reports that failed to address relevant medical literature and symptoms.

The Board found no evidence of the claimed disabilities during service or within one year post-service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the issues of mental health disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney stone condition, right knee disability, left knee disability, osteoarthritis of the cervical spine associated with ankylosing spondylitis, and left hip condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for right hip and dental disabilities due to a withdrawal by the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's initial and increased ratings for right knee scars, right knee disability (including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction), and right hip disability have been granted. The maximum schedular rating of 60 percent has been assigned for the right knee disability post total knee replacement (TKR). A separate compensable rating for shortening of the right lower extremity due to TKR is denied. An increased rating higher than 10 percent for the right hip disability is also denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted as service connected. The left hip disability issue is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The appeal for a higher rating for PTSD with TBI is remanded. The appeals for service connection of right and left hip disabilities are also remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is granted as it is secondary to a fall during active duty. The claims for left ear hearing loss, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dysentery, left elbow disability, middle back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability are denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding whether these conditions are proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for migraine disorder is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current migraine disorder manifested from an injury during a period of ACDUTRA or INADUCTRA while in the Army Reserves from September 1981 to April 2000. Service connection is also granted for low back disability and left hip disability (trochanteric bursitis).

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right hip, left hip, right hand finger, and left hand finger disabilities due to lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is required to be provided with VA examinations to determine if his current hip and finger disabilities are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disability, depression (secondary to a service-connected condition), right hip disability (secondary to a service-connected condition), and neck disability (secondary to a service-connected condition). The Board found that there was no evidence of any current disabilities related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability and physical disabilities separately result in her requiring regular aid and attendance from another person, warranting a higher rate of special monthly compensation (SMC).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the May 2018 VA examination. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's hip pain had its onset during her active service or within one year of separation.

The Board denied service connection for various spinal, hip, and knee conditions, finding that the current disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back, right hip, and left hip conditions due to insufficient examination findings and lack of addressing of obesity as an intermediate step between service-connected PTSD and these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for osteoarthritis, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a Board decision. The claims of entitlement to service connection for left hip disability (secondary to low back disability) and right hip disability (secondary to low back disability) are remanded for further development.