Ankle decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, right knee, right ankle, and right hip disabilities were denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected right ankle tendinopathy, residuals of Achilles' tendon rupture.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right ankle sprains incurred in service are service-connected, but his right knee and low back disorders are not related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was found to have been aggravated by his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The other issues remain unresolved.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left foot drop with hyperreflexia and ankle clonus, shell fragment wounds of the left thigh, bilateral tinnitus, shell fragment wounds of the left anterior chest, shell fragment wound of the right elbow, and right ear hearing loss, prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right ankle condition were not found to be directly related to his military service, and the claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a higher disability rating for his service-connected left ankle injury is being remanded due to inadequate medical records and the need for additional development.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70%, which meets the minimum schedular criteria for TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable as he can perform sedentary employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee and left ankle disorders are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability, including his cervical spine with associated iliac crest donor graft sites at both hips. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of a low back injury and right ring finger injury was denied due to lack of competent medical evidence linking the current conditions to service.,The Veteran's recurrent left ankle strain has been granted service connection, with no specific date provided in the decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right ankle sprain, as well as his claim for PTSD. The decision also noted that the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder was recharacterized to include PTSD.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the right knee and lumbar spine, residuals of a left ankle sprain, arthritis of the right shoulder, body cramps, hepatitis C, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The appeals were dismissed due to lack of evidence or insufficient material.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic sinus disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and low back disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation for recurrent left ankle sprain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for male infertility, bilateral leg and ankle swelling, and asthma have been denied as the evidence does not support a link to his active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ankle symptoms are not related to his in-service injury and are instead due to a post-service fracture. As such, a compensable evaluation for service-connected residuals of the right ankle sprain is denied.

The Board found that there is no credible evidence of a continuity of symptomatology between the reported in-service injuries and the current diagnoses of knee and ankle strain, and thus denied service connection for right knee and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable due to their combined effect. The Board finds that his obesity and other medical problems, rather than the service-connected disabilities, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current neck or left ankle disability, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a right ankle disorder is granted. However, the Board finds that additional development of evidence is required before addressing the merits of his service connection claim.

The Board has ordered the VA to request medical records from Dr. Rogge and other healthcare providers mentioned by the appellant, as part of a remand process due to incomplete information provided in previous requests.