Ankle decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of left shoulder, left ankle, or bilateral foot disorders. The nose fracture is considered resolved and no longer service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's GERD and right ankle condition.

The Veteran's left ankle arthritis is found to be secondary to her service-connected right knee disability. Service connection for COPD is denied as there is no evidence linking the current condition to her active duty.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for the Veteran's left ankle disorder, but denied his claims of service connection for other conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected residuals of a right ankle injury warrant an increased rating to 20 percent, and his service-connected residuals of a right knee injury warrant a rating of 30 percent for limitation of extension. The current ratings are appropriate based on the severity of the disabilities as described in the medical records.

The Veteran's left knee and right ankle disabilities are being remanded for additional development to determine if they are related to her service-connected right knee and left ankle disabilities.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for varicose veins, residuals of a right ankle injury, or a chronic disability manifested by poor circulation in the legs. Therefore, service connection cannot be established.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee and a right ankle condition, including as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis. The Veteran's current neck, back, bilateral ankle, and bilateral knee conditions may be related to his service-connected foot problems.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine arthritis and service connection for bilateral ankle disorder, asthma, and cervical radiculitis have been granted. The Veteran is now assigned a 20 percent disability rating for his cervical spine arthritis prior to February 5, 2007, and from April 1, 2007, with separate ratings of 20 percent each for bilateral ankle disorder and asthma.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and left ankle disability have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a bilateral ankle disability that is attributable to military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and ankle disorders, as well as his claim for an increased rating for right knee chondromalacia, were denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, bilateral ankle, and bilateral hip conditions. The Veteran's right hand condition was not granted an effective date earlier than July 30, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher ratings or service connection under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of this condition. His claims for higher ratings for low back disability and PTSD are remanded due to the significant delay in adjudication.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to improper implementation of the March 2009 Board decision and other procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle sprain did not manifest during service and is therefore denied. However, the Board has found clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing kidney stones condition prior to service. The Board also found no increase in severity of the Veteran's kidney stone condition during service, thus finding aggravation by service.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective December 12, 2008. The Board finds that a rating in excess of this is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left foot, left ankle, and lower leg disabilities are related to an accidental gunshot wound sustained during active service.