Ankle decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for left ankle strain, right foot pain and fallen arches, left foot pain with tendonitis and fallen arches, cervical strain, and left back pain are denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability in any of these areas.,The veteran's claim for left hip pain, bursitis is also denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability.

The Board has determined that the case should be remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the current severity of the veteran's disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found no justiciable case or controversy with respect to the claim of entitlement to service connection for strep throat, as it was already granted in full in 1971. For the remaining issues, the veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his right hip scar and chronic tonsillitis.

The Board has denied service connection for the veteran's right ankle condition, Saturday Night Palsy, Hepatitis C, and Sleep Condition due to lack of current diagnoses and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle disorders. However, further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service or any other relevant factors.

The veteran's claims for effective dates prior to June 18, 2001 were denied. However, his claim for a 40 percent evaluation for residuals of fracture, second metatarsal of the left foot was granted as of that date.

The Board has granted service connection for cold injury resulting in arthritis of the hands and knees, but denied it for the ankles, shoulders, and back due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection were generally granted, with some conditions being attributed to undiagnosed illnesses.

The veteran's left ankle disability was not found to be service-connected. The initial rating for his low back disability from November 7, 2002, to October 3, 2006, was granted at a 20 percent rating and remains unchanged. From October 4, 2006, the veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's lumbar spine disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not causally related to a service-connected disability. The left ankle fracture disability has been rated at 10% since its initial grant of service connection, but the Board determined there is no basis for an increased rating.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for lumbar strain effective April 29, 2005. The veteran's right hip strain and knee instability are rated at the maximum available under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current Achilles tendonitis of the right ankle and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic right ankle sprain and residuals of a fracture to the left thumb are denied as there is no evidence of marked limited motion or ankylosis, respectively.

The Board found that the veteran's current right ankle disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not proximately due to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing documents and notification issues, requiring additional development of evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle disorder, T5 compression fracture residuals, and ruptured medial tendon of the right elbow are not service-connected. The claims for increased ratings have also been denied.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound to the right ankle, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the June 2002 rating decision that denied service connection for a right ankle condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals, right ankle injury as no new and material evidence was presented.

The Board has jurisdiction to reopen the claims of service connection for residuals of a left ankle sprain and tension headaches. The claim of service connection for sleep disorder (including sleep apnea) is not reopened as there was no new and material evidence presented.