Ankle decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle disability, currently rated at 20 percent, does not warrant a higher rating as there is no evidence of ankylosis or other disabling conditions beyond limitation of motion and degenerative joint disease (DJD).

The veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disabilities, including ankylosing spondylitis and its associated symptoms such as right ankle, bilateral hip, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for further examination by a rheumatologist.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the veteran's service periods and obtain relevant medical records. The claims for service connection will be remanded pending this development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and possibly scheduling a VA examination to determine if there is a relationship between the veteran's current left ankle disability and his service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for additional compensation for two children, finding that VA received notice of their birth on February 4, 2005. The veteran argued he had previously notified VA of the births but was unsuccessful in getting his claims files transferred to the Phoenix RO.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were not supported by evidence within one year of the January 8, 2003 claim.,There is no medical evidence linking the veteran's brain tumor to service or a period following service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine if the veteran's current right ankle condition is related to service, and to assign a disability rating and effective date for any granted claim.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left ankle sprain, but denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss as these conditions were not incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and ankle disabilities, as her injuries resolved within a few weeks after military service. The preponderance of the evidence did not indicate any current disability was related to her in-service injuries.

The veteran's initial disability ratings for lumbosacral strain and arthritis of the left ankle were denied, with a rating of 20 percent assigned for each condition.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis left ankle and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine were denied as his conditions do not warrant a higher evaluation based on current medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right ankle disability, left epididymitis, or right ear hearing loss as a result of service. The claim for anal cryptitis is denied because it was noted during service but not found in the separation examination.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility criteria for financial assistance in acquiring an automobile or other conveyance, nor specially adapted housing or a home adaptation grant.

The veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and special home adaption grants were denied as he does not meet the legal criteria due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple conditions, including back disability, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, and various knee disabilities. The evaluations for the knees and ankle disabilities were also denied.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of ankle and hip injuries due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The VA examiner found that the veteran's bilateral hip disability was more likely caused by metastatic prostate cancer, not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have arthritis of the thoracic spine, cervical spine, bilateral shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, feet, elbows, or wrists. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals found that the veteran's disability does not prevent him from achieving his goal of obtaining a post-secondary education, and therefore, feasibility of vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31 is not demonstrated.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hand, left hip, left knee, left ankle and tailbone/back disabilities are related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.