The Veteran's bilateral hip strain and bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome are caused by his service-connected lumbar spondylosis with spinal stenosis and neural foraminal narrowing, thus warranting service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the bilateral hip strain and bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome are independent of and not caused by or secondary to lumbar spondylosis. However, a private physician provided an opinion stating that the Veteran's back injury shifted his pelvis, S1 joint, and lumbar region, resulting in secondary injuries to the hips and knees.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hip strain, bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2017
- Citation
- 1732868
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 1732868.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's bilateral hip disability was manifest by painful motion prior to March 28, 2025. From that date, the disability manifested as limitation of adduction due to inability to cross legs.,The Board found no evidence of limitation of extension or impairment of thigh prior to March 28, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle strain, left knee strain, and bilateral hip strain due to a lack of etiology opinions in the record.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip strain and migraines, finding that the Veteran's conditions were incurred or caused by in-service events. For bilateral hip strain, a VA examiner concluded it was at least as likely as not incurred during active duty. For migraines, a VA examiner found them to be at least as likely as not caused by toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) during service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for increased compensation for her right hand injury residuals is dismissed. Service connection and ratings are granted for lumbosacral strain and bilateral hip strains, with a separate rating at 10 percent for each knee based on instability.
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