Ankle decisions — 2008

The veteran's left ankle disability was rated at 20 percent from October 12, 2004 to January 8, 2007.,From June 1, 2007, the veteran is entitled to a rating of 30 percent for ankylosis in plantar flexion.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, a right ankle condition, and a right hand condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis and denied service connection for right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's left ankle condition was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service and is unrelated to his service-connected GERD.

The Board found no evidence of a current right ankle disability, PTSD, or an acquired psychiatric disorder that is related to service. The veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection and compensation for various conditions, including a head injury laceration scar, left ankle disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, dehydration, hepatitis B exposure, heart condition, hypertension, chronic respiratory disorder, sinusitis, and post-operative deviated nasal septum.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hemorrhoids and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The right ankle disability and scars were evaluated, but no rating assigned as the claim remains pending.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of left ankle strain.

The Board has withdrawn the veteran's appeal regarding his claim for service connection for schizoaffective disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right ankle disorder, and left ankle disorder were denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions or a link to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the appellant and a need for further development.

The VA determined that the veteran's right ankle injury does not warrant a higher disability rating than the current 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current left ankle disorder related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection. The low back disorder is also denied as secondary to the claimed left ankle disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for subacute bursitis of the left shoulder, a right ankle/lateral ligamentous sprain, and facial herpes on the right side of the mouth.,However, the claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of proximate causation.

The veteran's claims for service connection of residuals of bilateral elbow injury, complete atrophy of the left testicle, skin disorder of the feet and toes, right ankle disorder, and gastritis have all been denied. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently suffer from a left or right ankle disability, a left trapezius muscle strain, bronchitis, or bilateral hearing loss. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's claims for compensable evaluations for his left and right ankle chronic sprains/strains are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records, as well as any relevant medical records from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

The Board found that there is no competent evidence linking the veteran's hypertension or left ankle, knee, and hip disabilities to service or service-connected disability. The claims for secondary service connection were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an orthopedic examination to assess the current severity of the veteran's service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right ankle sprain, gastritis, and dental trauma. The preponderance of evidence does not support the existence of these conditions.