Ankle decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not related to his current condition. The issue of arthritis of joints other than the right ankle will be addressed separately.

The Board has found that the veteran does not have a diagnosed right ankle disorder and that there is no causal relationship between his military service and his claimed right ankle disorder. As such, the claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left ankle disability, characterized by marked limitation of motion and severe degenerative arthritis, warrants a 20% rating.

The RO denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including a left wrist disability, left arm disability (claimed as left tennis elbow), back disability, sub-deltoid bursitis of the left shoulder, and right ankle disability. The RO also granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of both knees with a 10 percent rating.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including degenerative arthritis and disc disease at C6-7, cancer, tuberculosis, a neck disorder (cervical sprain/strain), paralysis and neurological problems, bilateral ankle pain, swollen and painful joints, dizziness, throat trouble, a nervous disorder, a rectal disorder, inability to perform certain motions, lacerations to the head, face, and neck, and numbness in the upper and lower extremities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right ankle sprain, now with degenerative joint disease, do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including eye disorder, chest pain, headaches, sleep disorder, sore legs, joint pain (bilateral knee), and right ankle sprain with traumatic arthritis. The veteran's low back disability was rated at 10 percent, and his hearing loss and exercise-induced asthma were also rated at 0 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for clarification regarding whether the veteran intends to withdraw his claims of service connection for a back disorder and a bilateral ankle disorder. The RO must ensure all notification and development actions required by sections 3 and 4 of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act are fully complied with as to the issues on appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including presyncopal episodes, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral ankle disability, were not incurred or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder bursitis, cervical spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder, and bilateral wrist, knee, and ankle disorders are not supported by competent evidence of a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness or any other basis.

The veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection for left ankle condition, fatigue as due to an undiagnosed illness, muscle and joint pain as due to an undiagnosed illness, and numbness of the hands as due to an undiagnosed illness were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of moderate limitation of motion or anklyosis of the veteran's left ankle.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The VA found no evidence of chronic conditions related to his military service.

The Board has ordered additional development, requesting a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any left foot/ankle disorder. The case is now being remanded for further consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and found that the veteran's current cervical spine condition began during her active duty. The remaining issues of higher ratings for left shoulder, left knee, and left ankle conditions are remanded.

The veteran's right shoulder disorder was granted service connection and assigned a 10 percent rating effective from August 1, 2000.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine was granted with an effective date of June 10, 1999.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and shoulder disorders, as well as an initial compensable rating for residuals of a fracture of the left fifth toe, are denied due to lack of current evidence supporting these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's migraine headaches are due to a head injury sustained in service, granting service connection for this condition. The other issues of sensory neuropathy and osteochondromatosis were not fully resolved.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral ankle disorder and degenerative changes of the right knee are not service-connected, as there is no evidence showing a direct link to his service-connected residuals of plantar warts and calluses. The appeals have been denied.

The Board has ordered further development due to procedural issues and will review the case again based on all available evidence.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and a compensable rating for degenerative changes of the right ankle were denied. The claim for service connection for a left knee injury was not adjudicated as it was not addressed in this decision.