The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of right hip hemiarthroplasty as secondary to his service-connected bilateral status post total knee replacement, finding that the evidence did not support the Veteran's contention that his knee disabilities were responsible for his inability to regain balance and prevent him from stopping a fall.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found it less likely than not that the Veteran’s knee disabilities caused or aggravated his hip disability due to research in kinesiology, which supported the examiner's opinion over the Veteran's assertions.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of right hip hemiarthroplasty, bilateral status post total knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18116283
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18116283.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including osteoarthritis of the right ankle, old avulsion fracture of the left ankle, bilateral status post total knee replacement, low back condition, and sciatic nerve condition, did not begin in service or until many years after service and cannot be linked to any established in-service injury, disease, or event. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
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- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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