Ankle decisions — 2000

The veteran's pes planus was found to have increased in severity during her period of service, warranting a grant of service connection based on aggravation. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder is remanded due to incomplete records.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for the veteran's shoulder, hip, ankle, and back disabilities. The right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete service medical records and the need for additional examinations. The hearing loss claim will be reconsidered, and separate ratings may be assigned for any service-connected disorders of the feet/feet and/or knees as opposed to joining it with ankle disability.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues listed in the decision, effectively dismissing them.

The Board has granted the veteran's service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee, and fracture residuals of the right ankle. The initial ratings assigned are 10% for each condition.

The Board denied increased evaluations for scars on the right lower leg, dorsum of the right foot, and left ankle. The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not clearly interfere with normal employability.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, vision loss, a right knee disability, a right ankle disability, and skin rash.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has vacated the previous decision denying service connection for right shoulder and right ankle disabilities due to a lack of consideration of new evidence submitted by the veteran after certification of his appeal to the Board.

The veteran's severe muscle damage, Group XII, of the right lower leg with traumatic degenerative joint disease of the right ankle is rated at 40 percent, addressing loss of function due to pain. The veteran's traumatic arthritis of the right knee remains at a 20 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a contusion of the sacrum with coccygeal fracture and a psychiatric disorder. The claim for left knee disorder was reopened based on new evidence submitted by the veteran. Service connection for low back strain and neck strain were also granted, but with non-compensable ratings. Effective dates for these decisions are not established.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder and psychiatric disorder was denied, and the appeal for pension benefits was also denied due to lack of qualifying active service.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeal for service connection of personality disorder. The claim of increased evaluation for depressive disorder was denied, and the claim of tinnitus was granted as incurred in service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus with headaches remains in limbo as the appeal is not about this condition. The Board has reopened his claim for a left knee disability secondary to his service-connected postoperative left ankle fracture, but denied an increased evaluation for his current 10% rating for the postoperative left ankle fracture.

The appellant has been granted service connection for post-traumatic neck pain syndrome and upper back pain syndrome, as well as a current diagnosis of allergies (urticaria).,Service connection was denied for gastritis/gastroenteritis, right ankle injury, pes planus, sinus/throat/larynx conditions, and bladder/kidney condition (ureterocele).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and residuals of a right ankle sprain, finding no clinical or medical evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board dismissed the appeal because no timely substantive appeal was filed within the required time frame.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disorder and increased ratings for his left knee and left ankle scars, finding no current evidence of these conditions or any relationship to service or service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for higher evaluations of his right ankle, donor site scar, and left knee disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings.

The veteran's hiatal hernia is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but the evidence does not support a higher rating due to its mild nature.,The veteran's post operative varicose veins of the right leg are currently rated as zero percent disabling and do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.