Ankle decisions — 2000

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's right ankle reconstruction, currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well grounded, and thus denied. The appeals regarding a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the right shoulder and a compensable disability rating for residuals of shrapnel wounds to the right buttock and hip have also been denied.

The veteran's service-connected post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle is currently rated at 10 percent, and his bilateral pes planus is rated as noncompensable. The RO has granted these evaluations.

The veteran's claim for non-service-connected pension benefits was denied multiple times, and the effective date of his award is set at June 11, 1997.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the right ankle due to lack of evidence linking it to service. The claim for reopening a left ankle disability was also denied as no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence was not sufficient to establish a well-grounded claim for hypertension, but noted that further development of the issue was needed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as his claims were not well-grounded.

The veteran meets the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, right tarsal tunnel syndrome and reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the ankle and foot, left heel spur, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee, all secondary to her service-connected chondromalacia of the left knee with chronic tenosynovitis.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a well-grounded claim for service connection for urinary tract infection, disability manifested by scrotal pain, disability manifested by testicular pain, hip disability, ankle disability, right foot disability, gastrointestinal disability, or Crohn's disease. Service connection is granted for laceration scars of the right arm and chin.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left ankle disability, currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that there is no well-grounded claim for service connection of any of the claimed conditions. The veteran's claims were denied as his evidence did not establish a nexus between his current disabilities and service.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for the service-connected residuals of a bimalleolar fracture of the left ankle with internal fixation, finding that these symptoms more nearly approximate unfavorable ankylosis in extreme plantar flexion. The claim for service connection for a back disorder as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability is also granted.

The veteran's bilateral pes cavus and callus formation of the ball of his left foot are rated at 30 percent, while he is granted a higher rating for degenerative changes in both ankles. The original claim was docketed in September 1997.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include impingement syndrome and calcific tendonitis of the right shoulder, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, and traumatic arthritis of the left index and ring fingers, effectively preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. As such, he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board granted service connection for a low back disorder secondary to the appellant's service-connected left ankle disability, but denied an increased rating for his left ankle condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and reviewing outstanding medical records. The veteran's claims of increased evaluations for his left ankle fracture and lumbar strain are well-grounded, but the RO must ensure all relevant evidence is considered before making a decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left ankle disability warrants a 20 percent rating, reflecting moderate limitation of motion.

The veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated as 30 percent disabling, but the Board finds no basis for an increased rating.,Prior to May 4, 1995, the veteran was not entitled to a compensable evaluation for his left shoulder disability. The current evaluation of 10 percent is appropriate.