Ankle decisions — 2011

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the hands, feet, legs (knees), shoulders, ankles, and cervical and lumbar spine segments.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle degenerative joint disease is related to his in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claims for back disability, left ankle disability, and diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development including verification of service dates, VA examinations, and obtaining SSA records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a bilateral knee disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a left hip disability and GERD has been granted with an initial rating of 10 percent.,The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a skin disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a left ankle disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection has been granted with an initial rating of 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected right Achilles tendon repair with osteoarthritis, calcaneal spur, and healed right posterior ankle scar is shown to have been manifested by complaints of pain following heavy or prolonged use prior to July 20, 2009. The RO assigned a 10 percent rating for this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle strain, as well as his request for an earlier effective date for those conditions, were granted. The effective dates are set at April 25, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle, right ankle, and adjustment disorder with mixed emotional features have been granted increased evaluations. The left ankle disability is rated at 20 percent from April 4, 2007, the right ankle disability at 30 percent from that date, and the adjustment disorder at 50 percent.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted, and his right ankle disability was rated at 30 percent effective July 23, 2008. The rating for the right ankle is based on marked impairment of motion.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for gouty arthritis, chronic low back disability, and right ankle disability. However, it was not established that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied service connection for a right leg disability, finding that the Veteran did not have a current right leg disability. The rating for limitation of extension and flexion of the right knee was increased.

The VA physician concluded that the service-connected right leg deep venous thrombosis did not contribute substantially or materially to the Veteran's death, as evidenced by the lack of recurrence of DVT and no indication of over-coagulation. The hypertension listed on the cause-of-death certificate was attributed to a different condition (Fen-Phen).

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a compensable rating for residuals of a right ankle sprain prior to March 29, 2006 is denied as there was no increase in disability or communication indicating such during the one-year period preceding his formal claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new joints examination and the provision of any missing VA medical records.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn regarding the issue of residuals of colonoscopy with polyp removal. The Board finds that service connection is not warranted for any of the other issues raised, as there is no evidence of a current disability or nexus to service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a left ankle disability, which the Board finds requires additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right thumb disability, left ankle disability, neck disability, or low back disability for which service connection can be granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations, particularly regarding his right ankle disability and mood disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle strain, as well as his request for an earlier effective date for those conditions, were granted. The effective dates are set at April 25, 2006.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded as the Board needs additional information regarding his employability and the combined effect of all his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disability, including as secondary to service-connected disability. The decision is final.