Hip Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of aid and attendance, qualifying for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance. He is also entitled to a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted housing due to his permanent and total disability resulting from service-connected conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of an upper spine disability and granted a 60 percent rating for internal derangement of the left knee as of September 1, 2010. The secondary issue regarding hip disability is not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and left hip disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities, finding no new and material evidence presented.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, vertigo, left hip disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied as there is no competent evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence of these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions and finds that new and material evidence has been received to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is related to service, and granted service connection for this condition. The left hip disability and shoulder disabilities are not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal was timely filed, and the issues of entitlement to service connection for his claimed conditions remain in appellate status.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, left hip, and left leg disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a bilateral hip or left knee disability that is attributable to active service, and it was less likely than not caused or made worse by his service-connected low back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right hip disability, right leg disability (to include arthritis), left leg disability (to include arthritis), hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, as well as obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected TBI residuals warrant a 70 percent rating, and his painful scars of the abdomen and buttocks each warrant a separate 20 percent rating.

The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis for gout or bilateral hip disability status post hip replacement, and concluded that these conditions were not incurred in service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left ankle, shoulder, knee, and hip disabilities have been denied. The most recent VA examination found that the Veteran had full range of motion in all affected joints.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the need for additional medical records. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral hip disability are currently under review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not related to disease or injury in active service.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar strain is not found to have caused or aggravated any of his claimed bilateral hip, knee, ankle, or foot disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not incurred in service. The back disability and left hip disability have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and opinions regarding his knee, hip, and low back disabilities. The case will be reviewed again after the additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining treatment records from DeWitt Army Community Hospital and scheduling an orthopedic examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hip disability is causally related to his in-service basketball injuries.