Ankle decisions — 2010

The Veteran's skin disorder, back disorder, bilateral foot and ankle disorders, and bilateral knee disorders are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for right knee chondromalacia, but did not find any other conditions related to active service.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his left ankle disability was granted, with a 20% rating effective March 20, 2007. The issues of service connection for a left knee disability, chest pain, and PTSD remain unresolved.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of a left ankle disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ankle impairment is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed as the claim of an earlier effective date for a right ankle disability was not properly raised. The issues of service connection for wrist and neck disorders are denied due to lack of evidence of current disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied, but the Board remanded them for further development.,Service connection was granted for right ankle traumatic arthritis with an effective date of November 14, 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current low back disorder, right hand disorder, bilateral knee disorder, upper back disorder, or left ankle disorder. The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any chronic conditions related to his military service and there is no competent medical evidence linking these disorders to his period of active duty.

The Board found that the recoupment of the Veteran's separation pay from his VA disability compensation was proper based on federal law, and denied the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of arthritis of the ankles, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or residuals of an injury to the right index finger that is related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or chronic symptomatology.

The Veteran's conditions do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran was granted an extension of the delimiting date for his Chapter 30 educational assistance benefits by three years and five months, from January 20, 2003 to June 20, 2006, due to a physical disability preventing him from initiating or completing his chosen program of education.

The Board found that the appellant's current left ankle disability is related to injuries he experienced while serving in the Marine Corps, and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the appellant's in-service left ankle injury, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right and left ankle disorders were incurred during his period of active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records and determine whether service connection can be established for right knee, right ankle, low back disorders, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected DJD of the right and left ankles is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum allowable evaluation for moderate to severe DJD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination to address the severity of her left ankle disability.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional records and further examination.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his knee and ankle disabilities, as well as his claim for service connection for hearing loss, were denied. The RO assigned non-compensable ratings to the Veteran's left knee disability, right knee disability, and left ankle disability.