Ankle decisions — 2009

The case is being remanded to obtain a more comprehensive medical opinion regarding the severity of the veteran's left ankle disability.

The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against the finding that the appellant's current right ankle disorder is etiologically related to or has been aggravated by any incident or injury that occurred during his verified period of active duty for training.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, left knee, and right ankle disabilities as there was no evidence of current disability related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability, left knee disability, and gynecological disability (to include infertility/sterility) as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's left ankle degenerative joint disease is rated at 20 percent due to marked limitation of motion.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and adjudication of the service connection claims.

The Board denied an increased rating for right ankle osteoarthritis and left knee osteoarthritis with medial joint space narrowing, as the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.

The Board denied an increased rating for the residuals of a gunshot wound of the right ankle, with injury to Muscle Group X, as the evidence did not show that the disability had worsened beyond the current 10 percent rating.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle sprain was denied, while an initial evaluation of 30 percent was granted for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction and bypass.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of an oil burn to the right ankle.

The veteran's lumbar and right ankle disabilities were granted increased ratings, while the cervical spine disability was denied an increase. Service connection for a left foot/ankle disorder as secondary to service-connected residuals of fracture of the right distal tibia and right fifth toe was established.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for flatfeet, left knee arthritis, and right ankle disorder as the current 10 percent ratings were found to be appropriate given the severity of his symptoms.

The appeal for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle is being remanded to the RO for further development.

The Board remands the case for additional development to ensure a more accurate assessment of the veteran's right knee and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's residuals of a left ankle fracture, healed, with mild arthritis have been found to involve moderately severe symptoms as of January 18, 2006, warranting a 20 percent rating.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for scheduling of a Travel Board hearing at the Veteran's regional office via videoconference.

The Board denied service connection for deep vein thrombosis of the left leg, sleep apnea, and post-traumatic stress disorder as there was no competent medical evidence establishing a link to active service.

The veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 50 percent, while the right ankle remained at 20 percent. The combined rating did not exceed 40 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities were not incurred as a result of any established event, injury, or disease during active duty for training.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of various joints, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service.