RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

PHYSICAL DISABILITY BOARD OF REVIEW 

 

 

                     BRANCH OF SERVICE: ARMY  

 
                             SEPARATION DATE:  20021219 

 
NAME:  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                 
CASE NUMBER:  PD1101140  
BOARD DATE:  20121023 
 
 
SUMMARY  OF  CASE:    Data  extracted  from  the  available  evidence  of  record  reflects  that  this 
covered individual (CI) was an active duty PV2/E-2 (54B10/Basic Trainee), medically separated 
for left femoral neck stress fracture, radiographically healed with minor residual symptoms but 
presenting an unacceptable risk for recurrent injury.  The CI presented with hip pain while in 
basic  training  and  was  found  to  have  a  femoral  neck  stress  fracture.    He  was  treated  with 
physical therapy, medications and activity modification.  Although the condition resolved other 
than  minimal  pain,  he  was  thought  to  be  at  high  risk  for  recurrence  and  separation  was 
recommended.    He  was  issued  a  permanent  L3  profile  and  underwent  a  Medical  Evaluation 
Board  (MEB).    Left  femoral  neck  stress  fracture,  nondisplaced,  radiographically  and  clinically 
healed, was forwarded to the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) as medically unacceptable IAW 
AR 40-501.  No other conditions appeared on the MEB’s submission.  The PEB adjudicated the 
left  femoral  neck  stress  fracture  condition  as  unfitting,  rated  0%,  with  application  of  the 
Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD).  The CI made no appeals and 
was medically separated with a 0% combined disability rating. 
 
 
CI CONTENTION:  “I have pain in my left hip every day.  I cannot run.  I cannot walk for long 
periods of time.” 
 
 
SCOPE  OF  REVIEW:    The  Board’s  scope  of  review  is  defined  in  the  Department  of  Defense 
Instruction  (DoDI)  6040.44,  Enclosure  3,  paragraph  5.e.(2).    It  is  limited  to  those  conditions 
determined  by  the  PEB  to  be  unfitting  for  continued  military  service  and  those  conditions 
identified but not determined to be unfitting by the PEB when specifically requested by the CI.  
Ratings for unfitting conditions will be reviewed in all cases.  The left hip condition requested 
for  consideration  meets  the  criteria  prescribed  in  DoDI  6040.44  for  Board  purview  and  is 
addressed below.  Any conditions or contention not requested in this application, or otherwise 
outside  the  Board’s  defined  scope  of  review,  remain  eligible  for  future  consideration  by  the 
Army Board for Correction of Military Records. 
 
 
RATING COMPARISON: 

 

Service IPEB – Dated 20021205 

Condition 

Code 

Lt Femoral Neck Stress FX 

5099-5003 

↓No Additional MEB/PEB Entries↓ 

VA (Used STR*) – All Effective Date 20021220 

Rating 

0% 

Condition 

Lt Femoral Neck Stress FX 

Code 
5253 

Rating 

0% 

0% x #/Not Service Connected x 2 

Exam 
STR 
STR 

Combined:  0% 

Combined:  0% 

* No Show for initial VA C&P Exam.  No change in VA adjudication after 20040203 C&P.   
 
ANALYSIS SUMMARY: 
 
Healed  Left  Femoral  Neck  Stress  Fracture,  with Minor  Residual  Symptoms  Condition.    The  CI 
had sudden onset of left hip pain during a company run while in training on 5 June 2002.  He 

was found to have a stress fracture of the femoral neck and was treated with physical therapy 
and  duty  limitations  including  convalescent  leave.    He  was  returned  to  duty  after  symptom 
resolution with subsequent recurrence of the pain.  He was again placed on convalescent leave 
and  a  MEB  was  initiated.    The  narrative  summary  (NARSUM)  was  dictated  by  the  treating 
orthopedic surgeon on 13 November 2002, 5 weeks prior to separation.  The CI reported slight 
pain but that he was able to ambulate with minimal pain.  On examination he had full range-of-
motion (ROM) in all planes, no tenderness to palpation, but some pain with extreme internal 
rotation.  A straight leg raise was not painful.  Heel tap and log roll, tests for a femoral fracture, 
were  negative.    Imaging  showed  sclerosis,  indicative  of  a  healed  stress  fracture.    He  was 
thought  to  have  a  healed  stress  fracture  of  the  left  femoral  neck  based  on  clinical  and 
radiographic evidence, but was at risk for pain and recurrent injury if he continued strenuous 
activities such as basic training.  The CI failed to report for his VA Compensation and Pension 
(C&P)  examination  scheduled  for  1  May  2003,  5  months  after  separation.    There  was  an 
examination on 3 February 2004, 14 months after separation, which was normal.  The VA did 
not change its previous rating which it had made based on the service treatment records (STR).  
The Board directs attention to its rating recommendation based on the above evidence.  The 
PEB  and  VA  both  rated  the  condition  at  0%  disability,  but  coded  it  5099-5003,  analogous  to 
degenerative arthritis, and 5253, impairment of the thigh, respectively.  The Board considered 
other coding options but none provided a route to a higher rating.  As already noted, when the 
CI was examined by the VA 14 months after separation his condition was normal and no change 
was made to his disability rating.  After due deliberation, considering all of the evidence and 
mindful  of  VASRD  §4.3  (reasonable  doubt),  the  Board  concluded  that  there  was  insufficient 
cause to recommend a change in the PEB adjudication for the left femoral neck condition. 
 
 
BOARD FINDINGS:  IAW DoDI 6040.44, provisions of DoD or Military Department regulations or 
guidelines relied upon by the PEB will not be considered by the Board to the extent they were 
inconsistent with the VASRD in effect at the time of the adjudication.  In the matter of the left 
femoral  neck  stress  fracture  condition  and  IAW  VASRD  §4.71a,  the  Board  unanimously 
recommends no change in the PEB adjudication. 
 
 
RECOMMENDATION:  The Board, therefore, recommends that there be no recharacterization of 
the CI’s disability and separation determination, as follows:   
 

VASRD CODE 
5099-5003 
COMBINED 

RATING 

0% 
0% 

Left Femoral Neck Stress Fracture 

UNFITTING CONDITION 

 
 
The following documentary evidence was considered: 
Exhibit A.  DD Form 294, dated 20111218, w/atchs. 
Exhibit B.  Service Treatment Record. 
Exhibit C.  Department of Veterans Affairs Treatment Record. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

           XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 
           President 
           Physical Disability Board of Review 

 

 

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SFMR-RB 
 
 
 
 
MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, US Army Physical Disability Agency  
(TAPD-ZB /  ), 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA  22202-3557 
 
SUBJECT:  Department of Defense Physical Disability Board of Review Recommendation for 
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, AR20120020020 (PD201101140) 
 
 
I have reviewed the enclosed Department of Defense Physical Disability Board of Review (DoD 
PDBR) recommendation and record of proceedings pertaining to the subject individual.  Under 
the authority of Title 10, United States Code, section 1554a,   I accept the Board’s 
recommendation and hereby deny the individual’s application.   
This decision is final.  The individual concerned, counsel (if any), and any Members of Congress 
who have shown interest in this application have been notified of this decision by mail. 
 
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: 
 
 
 
 
Encl 
 
 
 
CF:  
(  ) DoD PDBR 
(  ) DVA 
 
 

     XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 
     Deputy Assistant Secretary 
         (Army Review Boards) 

 
 
 

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