The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and right hip disabilities, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the bilateral hip degenerative arthritis was not caused or aggravated by the service-connected back disability due to lack of medical evidence suggesting a causal relationship.
- Claimed conditions
- Left hip degenerative arthritis, Right hip degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017701
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 A26017701.
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: Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings and service connection, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to review these claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including major depressive disorder with anxious distress and mild neurocognitive disorder, migraines, bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis and lumbosacral strain (sciatica), right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right hip degenerative arthritis, and left hip degenerative arthritis have been denied. The decision does not address service connection for specific conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, gout, or diabetes mellitus.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right hip degenerative arthritis as secondary to service-connected right knee and lumbar spine arthritis. The rating for the acquired psychiatric disorder remains at 30 percent.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.