Hip Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain his personnel file and any relevant medical records, including those from Wiesbaden Regional Medical Center. The Veteran will be scheduled for examinations to determine if his current disabilities were caused or aggravated by his service.

The Veteran's right hip disability claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current right hip disorder. The left hip disability claim, originally denied in February 2006, remains pending and will be addressed on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a clarifying medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected right knee disability and any diagnosed left knee and right hip disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right hip and lumbar spine disabilities did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to his military service, leading to a denial of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints was denied as there is no evidence of the condition. The issues of service connection for bilateral shoulder disability, right hip disability, left hip disability (status-post hip replacement), and lumbar spine disability are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran asserts that he injured his left hip during service and seeks service connection for the disability. The Board finds the current VA examination inadequate due to a lack of review of the claims folder, and remands the case for another examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and unclear etiology of the Veteran's hip disability.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining recent VA medical records and providing an opinion on whether his service-connected right hip disability renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence of a left hip disability during service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service records and outstanding post-service medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, chronic coccydynia, or a hip disability that is related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left wrist disability, skin disorder, and back disorder. The hearing loss, tinnitus, and left hip disorders were not found to be related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of right knee and left hip disabilities. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip pain in service is related to current bursitis, warranting service connection for right and left hip disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected stress fractures of the right ankle, left tibial plateau, and right hip/pelvis have been rated as 10 percent disabling since February 28, 2006. The Veteran has not met the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.,The Veteran's service-connected stress fractures of the left hip/pelvis have also been rated as 10 percent disabling since February 28, 2006. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, schizophrenia, and hip disability were denied. Service connection was granted for a vocal and/or speech disability.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's current cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip disabilities are not related to his service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal of the claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine, right hip and right knee disabilities and a bilateral eye disorder prior to the Board's decision.

The Board denied entitlement to an effective date earlier than March 7, 2005 for PTSD and denied reopening of claims for left leg, hip, and neck disabilities. The Veteran's low back disability was found to be service connected as secondary to his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the left foot.