Ankle decisions — 2005

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no credible evidence of an in-service stressor or other claimed conditions, and the VA did not find any basis for granting service connection.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected right ankle disability, currently rated at 10 percent. The evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, gastrointestinal tract disability, neck disability, and left ankle disability. The reasons were that there was no evidence of current disabilities attributable to service.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right ankle, left ankle, and left knee.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current lower spine disability is not related to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection. The claims for right knee and left ankle disabilities were also denied as there was no evidence of such conditions in service or within one year post-service.

The appellant's service connection claims for chronic fatigue and multiple joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness are granted. Service connection is also established for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, with a rating of 60 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current residuals of a right knee or right ankle injury, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for dental treatment, service connection for sprains of the left knee, ankle, and foot, low back strain, malar, maxillary, and mandibular fracture including malocclusion, and paranasal sinusitis. The appeals were based on inservice trauma but no new evidence was provided to support these claims.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right ankle injury do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further hearing and review.

The veteran's compensation benefits were properly reduced to the 10 percent rate, effective April 13, 2003, based upon his incarceration.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for swelling of his left arm, ankles, and knees, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by active service and is not etiologically related to service. The Board also found no evidence of arthritis within one year post-service.

The veteran's claims for respiratory, right ankle, cervical spine, low back, and bilateral hip disabilities were denied as they are not service-connected.,Service connection was granted for a left knee arthroplasty (rated at 30%) and residuals of a fracture to the left femur (rated at 10%).

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a left ankle sprain warrant a 10 percent disability rating, as moderate limitation of motion is present. No higher rating can be assigned.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a current diagnosis of tinnitus. For PTSD, the Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against his claim for a higher evaluation, as all adverse symptomatology noted on examination was caused by non-service connected Alzheimer's disease. The veteran's right ankle disability remains at 40 percent disabling.

The Board found no evidence of a current neck, gastrointestinal, or left ankle disorder attributable to service. The initial compensable evaluation for the lumbar spine disability was granted prior to May 5, 1993.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and unverified National Guard service. The veteran's claims for ulcers and right ankle disability are on appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed back and ankle disorders are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's asthma, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder are not service-connected. However, his left ankle disorder was granted as a result of aggravation by a pre-existing condition during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, residuals of bilateral ankle sprain, and hypertension. The veteran was not granted any new ratings or benefits.