Ankle decisions — 2011

The Veteran's service connection claims for right elbow, left elbow tendinitis, right shoulder bursitis, left shoulder disability, bilateral knee chondromalacia, bilateral wrist disability, right ankle disability, left ankle tendinitis, and low back disability have all been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to unclear action on TDIU, and because of a need for additional medical opinions regarding psychiatric disorders and spine disabilities.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has been manifested by subjective complaints of pain, tenderness, and instability. The medical evidence does not show marked limitation of motion or other impairment warranting a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying periods of active duty. The Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma and bilateral ankle disorder are also being reviewed.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need to obtain private treatment records and additional VA medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his right ankle and knee disorders, including a lack of medical records from his incarceration period. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's service dates and determine if his current right ankle disorder is related to service. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected left ankle fracture and asthmatic bronchitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left ankle fracture, as it only showed moderate limitation of motion without marked limitation. For the asthmatic bronchitis, the Veteran's condition met criteria for a 30 percent rating but no higher.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left knee disability may be related to service, raising a reasonable doubt in favor of his claim.,There is no evidence showing continued right ankle problems following service, and the VA examiners have determined that the current right ankle disability is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and attempting to obtain outstanding medical records from the Dominican Republic.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his back disorder and other service connection issues. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his period of active service or any incidents therein. The Board also found that the low back disability was not proximately due to, the result of, or chronically aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's residuals of a left ankle fracture are characterized by limited dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, but do not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss of or the loss of use of his hands, do not result in blindness, were not the result of burns, and were not the result of an inhalation injury. Therefore, he is not eligible for a special home adaptation grant.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant was denied as he does not meet the criteria for either benefit due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service, including exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides. Service connection is therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased disability ratings have been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing his appeals.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his chronic left ankle disability is related to his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current left ankle disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's depressive disorder with attention deficit disorder was granted service connection. The initial evaluations for Crohn's Disease, lumbar spondylolisthesis, and residuals of injury to the right ankle/foot remain unchanged.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was rated as 10 percent disabling effective from June 6, 2007. This is the earliest date of factually ascertainable increase in disability.