The Veteran seeks service connection for his claimed hip and back disabilities as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The Board finds that a supplemental medical opinion is necessary to address the relationship between these conditions.
The deciding factor: The July 2011 VA examination did not adequately address whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability has aggravated his low back or right hip disability, and thus further development is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- right hip degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine DJD
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2013
- Citation
- 1303324
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1303324.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection, including chronic right foot metatarsalgia at digit 3,4,5, left shoulder bicep tendonitis, right hip degenerative joint disease, hypertension, right shoulder bicep tendonitis, headaches, left hip degenerative joint disease, and atrial fibrillation with residual non ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically regarding inadequate opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), right hip degenerative joint disease, and left lower extremity sciatic nerve problem. The issues related to right knee degenerative arthritis are also remanded as they are intertwined with the IVDS claim.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip degenerative joint disease, finding that the conditions were diagnosed within one year of discharge from active service and are causally related to active service.
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