Ankle decisions — 2003

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, finding that there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the assertions of a back disability due to ankle disabilities or any other disease or injury in service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings have been denied as there is no evidence of marked limitation of motion or other disabling conditions in his right ankle and knee disabilities.

The Board has found that the veteran's current right ankle pathology can be disassociated from a right ankle injury sustained in service, granting service connection for a right ankle disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right ankle disability related to service and his lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 20 percent, but there is no evidence of any new or material evidence to reopen the claim. The appeal for an increased rating remains denied.

The veteran's osteomyelitis of the left calcaneus and scar of the plantar surface of the left foot are currently rated at their highest possible evaluations, with no further increase in evaluation for these conditions. The limitation of motion of the left ankle is also evaluated at its maximum.

The veteran's bilateral foot disability is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen his claim of service connection for a bilateral ankle disability. The TDIU issue remains unresolved as it presents mixed results with some issues granted and others not.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left hip replacement, right hip arthritis, and bilateral ankle arthritis are all related to service.

The veteran's combined evaluation for his service-connected disabilities as a result of a motor vehicle accident during service is 80 percent, which meets the criteria for TDIU. The VA examiner stated that the veteran was unable to maintain gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left ankle disability related to service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the left ankle, finding that his disability is more appropriately rated as a muscle injury (MG XI) due to an open comminuted fracture and associated muscle damage. The maximum schedular rating available for combined muscle injuries involving the left ankle is 30 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disability as secondary to his service-connected disability.

The VA has granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's residuals of a fracture of the left ankle, which is currently evaluated as productive of slight limitation of motion with pain.

The Board denied the appellant's claims to reopen his service connection for right ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ankle disability warrants a 30 percent evaluation, reflecting marked ankle disability caused by degenerative changes at the medial aspect of the left talus with pain on motion and limitation of motion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right ankle sprain, deviated nasal septum, gastroenteritis, otitis media, Scheuermann's disease, muscular/neurological problems of the hands and legs, and wrist, ankle, and joint pain. The appeals were decided on a direct basis without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board has found that the veteran's right knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected left knee replacement, warranting secondary service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities were evaluated based on the criteria provided in the rating schedule for musculoskeletal system disorders. His left wrist strain residuals including tendonitis are currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and his right wrist tendonitis is also rated as 10 percent disabling. The other conditions have been appropriately evaluated.

The veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and TDIU are being remanded due to the inextricability of these issues with his right ankle and left toe disorders.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and therefore, his claims are denied.