Ankle decisions — 2001

The veteran's claims for secondary service connection for a right ankle disability and left heel disability as well as his claim for an increased rating for the right knee disability were denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ankle sprain does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues regarding service connection and a rating for right ankle disability. The veteran's low back disorder may be related to his service-connected right ankle fracture with traumatic arthritis, but this needs further investigation.

The veteran's service-connected right ankle disorder with bursitis and Achilles tendonitis, left wrist tenosynovitis, status post ganglion cyst excision, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome have been rated at 10 percent each since April 1997.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board has restored the veteran's 30 percent disability rating for his right ankle disorder, effective January 1, 2000.

The VA has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left ankle fracture and excision of the base of the left fifth metatarsal, as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and rating of her bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that a noncompensable rating was appropriate based on the criteria set forth in Diagnostic Code 5279.

The veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 30 percent, which the Board finds insufficient to warrant a higher evaluation.

The VA determined that the veteran's left ankle disability, which is service-connected and manifested by a healed fracture of the medial malleolus with a small bone fragment between the tibia and fibula, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran's right ankle disability was rated at 10 percent prior to April 5, 2000. Effective from that date, the VA assigned a 20 percent rating for his traumatic arthritis of the right ankle.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional evidence and further psychiatric evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle disorder was permanently aggravated during his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's low back disability, characterized as lumbosacral strain, is rated at 10 percent effective January 5, 1996 to August 20, 1996. The rating for the right herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1 with history of right leg numbness remains at 20 percent as of August 20, 1996. A 10 percent disability rating is granted for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles effective December 1, 1996. The veteran's vagina cystocele and residuals of excised bilateral ganglion cysts are each rated at 10 percent.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his service-connected post-operative residuals of a right ankle fracture, which was rated at 10 percent since September 29, 1998.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the 1961 and 1985 rating decisions, and denied claims for service connection based on secondary effects of a pre-existing right knee disability.

The Board found no current disability of the right foot or ankle and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ankle instability and residuals of a fractured right ankle warrant a 20 percent evaluation each, as provided for under Diagnostic Code 5271.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee and right foot disorder due to lack of well-groundedness. The RO provided additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination, but the Board found that an opinion regarding the etiology of any current right knee or right foot disability was not provided by the examiner.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee disability, right ankle sprain, and shin splints were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent for any of these conditions.