Ankle decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for a left ankle disability as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability is not well grounded. The claim for an increased rating for a left knee disability is well grounded.

The veteran is entitled to assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to his service-connected Môniére's disease, which precludes locomotion without assistive devices.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, left side injury, vision problems, throat problem, low back disorder, and flat feet. The evidence submitted did not meet the criteria to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not meet the criteria for reopening the claims of service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities, as well as the claim for urinary infection or epididymitis. The RO's decisions remain final.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence of current disabilities for the claimed conditions, and thus the veteran's claims for service connection are not well grounded.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle strain and conjunctivitis, as well as service connection for prostatitis. The appellant was granted service connection for these conditions in a previous decision.

The Board dismissed the appeals as no timely substantive appeal was received for any of the issues on appeal.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected right ankle sprain was granted, but the assigned noncompensable rating is being reviewed due to perceived inadequacy.

The Board found that the veteran's left ankle disability, which is currently rated at 10 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5271 for limitation of motion of the ankle, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left lower extremity disability and for an increased rating for her right ankle disability. The right ankle disability is currently rated at 40%.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected hiatal hernia, effective from January 18, 1997. The veteran is also entitled to a compensable rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and residuals of a fracture of the right ankle.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for left TMJ syndrome and a chronic left ankle disability, finding that there was no current medical evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right and left knee disorders have resulted in his current right ankle/foot disorder, warranting secondary service connection.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected right ankle disability, which is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's substantive appeal was timely filed, and thus granted his claims for service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and right ankle disorder. The claim for an increased rating for psoriasis remains pending.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims of service connection for a left ankle disability and a left knee disability.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his bilateral pes cavus and hearing loss disabilities, as well as service connection for cardiovascular disease, were denied by the Board.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left ankle, and right ankle disorders due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service.

The veteran's left ankle disorder was initially rated at 10 percent effective February 25, 1997. The Board denied an increased rating for the period from February 5, 1993 to February 24, 1997.