Ankle decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities, as well as his request for an increased rating for right knee replacement. The appeals were not granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder, and evaluations for degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 and a left ankle strain with instability and limitation of motion. The appeal is pending before the Board.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for VA examinations to assess the current severity of his cervical spine and right ankle disabilities.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for PTSD, arthritis of the right hand, hypertension, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral knee disability, or left ankle disability.,An additional VA examination may be necessary to address the etiology of the veteran's hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including a VA examination and consideration of service connection claims.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected hemangioma of the left ankle is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed knee and ankle disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board denied the claim for a higher initial evaluation for right ankle instability with post-traumatic arthritis, as it was determined that there was no evidence of malunion or nonunion of the tibia or fibula in the July 1994 x-rays.

The Board granted the veteran's claims for an initial evaluation of 10 percent for a chronic left ankle sprain and denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed left ankle disability and residuals of surgical treatment to correct epistaxis are not related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found no evidence of arthritis or musculoskeletal disorders during service, and the VA examiner's opinions did not support a link between current conditions and service. The veteran's complaints are attributed to aging rather than service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis, left ankle, with tendon tearing. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted while others are not.

The Board found that the veteran did not have an employment handicap and thus, basic entitlement to vocational rehabilitation training was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for lumbosacral strain, tinnitus, and residuals of toe fractures. The claims for higher initial ratings for knee disabilities (left knee status-post meniscectomy with chondromalacia of the patella, right knee strain with chondromalacia of the patella) and ankle sprains were also denied. The claim for a compensable initial evaluation for hypertension was not addressed as it is not related to service connection.

The Board granted a compensable rating of 20 percent for the service-connected chip fracture of the left ankle and found that the veteran is not entitled to an increased rating for tinea pedis. The claim for service connection for frostbite of the feet was also granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of left hip and left ankle disabilities, as well as his requests for increased ratings for right knee and low back disabilities. The Board found no competent evidence linking these conditions to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's death was attributed to dementia, which the VA examiner believed was caused by his service-connected right knee and ankle conditions.,An earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a right knee disorder is not warranted as there is no evidence that the veteran submitted an application prior to August 30, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a bilateral ankle condition, testicle condition, and eye condition. The low back disability was granted with an initial rating of 20 percent.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral foot disability, left hip, knee, and ankle disabilities, as well as a skin condition, were denied by the RO. The decision did not address the issue of service connection based on exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or other presumptive conditions.

The veteran's service-connected right foot and left foot disabilities have been granted increased evaluations of 30% and 20%, respectively, effective from May 2000.