Hip Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back and right hip disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional records, including from chiropractors prior to April 2011, and arrange for a new examination by an orthopedic surgeon.

The Veteran's sinusitis and headaches are granted service connection due to presumed exposure to fine particulate matter during service in Afghanistan. The left hip disability and left leg radiculopathy are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for back disability, headache condition, right hip disability, and left hip disability due to the need to obtain VA treatment records from Charleston VA Medical Center dated between 1978 and 2001.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection and other issues, including a remand for new opinions on the relationship between his current conditions and his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for multiple joint arthritis, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, bilateral ankle and foot disabilities, cardiac disability (including heart palpitations), and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence.,Further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has these conditions.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and did not grant the Veteran's request for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and asthma were denied service connection as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease. The eye condition due to trauma, lumbar strain, and right hip pain issues are remanded for further development.,Service connection for the Veteran's current diagnoses will be reconsidered based on new evidence and examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine were granted. The claim for bilateral hip disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claim for bilateral knee disability is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding his claimed disabilities and their relationship to active duty, including exposure to G-forces as a pilot.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Left Hip Disability, finding that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused or aggravated these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tendinitis and bursitis of the left hip and musculoligamentous strain of the left knee due to insufficient evidence. Additional medical opinions are needed to assess the current severity of these disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a left knee disability. The claims of service connection for right hip and left hip disabilities are remanded due to the need for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for ratings of his left hip and lumbosacral spine disabilities have been denied as a matter of law.,The claim for an earlier effective date for the bronchial asthma rating has also been denied, with the earliest possible effective date being March 6, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip disability, acquired psychiatric disability, and vertigo are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting examinations to address the Veteran's service connection claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the condition and that the current left hip disability is not etiologically related to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, neck, and hip disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is asked to provide any outstanding VA, private, or Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including DJD, is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's right hip disability, including osteoarthritis, is granted as service connected.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for right hip, right knee, and left ankle conditions. The TDIU issue is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the other issues.

The Veteran's right knee and right hip disabilities have been granted service connection. The Veteran's tension headaches and TBI residuals are being remanded for further evaluation.