Citation Nr: 18148361
Decision Date: 11/07/18	Archive Date: 11/07/18

DOCKET NO. 16-30 471
DATE:	November 7, 2018
REMANDED
Service connection for left hip disability is remanded.
Service connection for right hip disability is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from September 1974 to August 1978.  He is appealing for service connection for left and right hip disabilities as secondary to his service connected left and right knee disabilities.  The evidence shows that he has left and right hip osteoarthritis.  The only medical opinion of record addressing secondary service connection for the bilateral hip disability addresses only direct causation by the left knee disability.  It does not address causation by the service connected right knee disability, and it does not address aggravation by either the service connected left or right knee disability.  All of this information should be obtained via a VA examination on remand, including in light of Allen v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 439 (1995) (provides for secondary service connection for disability to the extent that it is chronically made worse/aggravated by a service connected disability).  Before the examination, any additional relevant treatment records should be obtained.   
Accordingly, the matters are REMANDED for the following action:
1. Make arrangements to obtain any additional medical records relevant to the appeals.  
2.  After completion of the foregoing, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination for his claims for service connection for left and right hip disability.  The claims file should be made available to the examiner for review in connection with the examination.  
Based on the examination and review of the record, and taking into account the Veteran's contentions, the examiner should respond to the following:
a)  As to each hip, is it at least as likely as not (a 50% or higher degree of probability) that the Veteran's current hip disability is proximately due to or caused by his service-connected right or left knee disability?
b)  As to each hip, is it at least as likely as not (a 50% or higher degree of probability) that the Veteran's hip disability is aggravated (increased in severity) by the service-connected left or right knee disabilities?  If aggravation is found, the examiner should quantify the degree of aggravation, if possible.
The examiner should answer questions (a) and (b) separately, to help ensure that both are fully, clearly, and adequately answered, and should furnish separate detailed reasons for each opinion, specifically discussing any relevant evidence or medical principles to the extent appropriate.  A complete rationale must be provided for all opinions.  If the examiner cannot provide an opinion without resort to speculation, the examiner should provide an explanation as to why this is so and note what, if any, additional evidence would permit such an opinion to be made. 
 
M. C. GRAHAM
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	C. Lawson, Counsel