Ankle decisions — 2011

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not, singly or in combination, preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disorder, bilateral knee disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the left leg and thigh, and back disorder have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions have been granted, with a noncompensable evaluation assigned for bilateral pes planus as of August 3, 2009.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ankle disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating greater than 20 percent, as there was no evidence of ankylosis. The claim for increased rating is denied.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current ankle disability to his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, including SSA records. He also needs examinations for his lumbar spine condition and right and left knee/ankle conditions, as well as a TDIU examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete medical opinions and further development is needed.

The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for a right ankle disorder or heart disorder, and thus these claims are denied.

The Board found no current diagnoses of the claimed conditions and thus denied service connection for all issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation and service connection were denied.,Service connection was not granted for a left wrist disability or right ankle disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for various disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting service connection for OSA, or assigning higher initial ratings for the other conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for several disabilities, including a fracture of the right fifth finger, a disability of the lumbosacral spine, and bilateral hearing loss. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's claims.

The Board granted service connection for the residuals of a left ankle bimalleolar fracture and assigned a 40 percent disability rating effective from May 10, 2007.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was also granted, with the effective date set at May 11, 2007.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hip and ankle arthritis were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor are they proximately due to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left foot, ankle and knee disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining treatment records and providing VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected right tibia and left ankle disabilities have been rated as noncompensable prior to February 4, 2010. As of February 4, 2010, the disabilities are rated at 10 percent each. The Board finds that these ratings adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran's service-connected right tibia and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions, as well as for further development.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's right ankle or right knee disabilities pre-existed his military service. The preponderance of the competent and credible evidence is against finding any current right ankle or right knee disability was related to a disease or injury in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a left ankle strain warrant a 10 percent rating, reflecting moderate limitation of motion. The claim for service connection for low back disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis and chondromalacia of the knees, including as secondary to service-connected pes cavus, and for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral pes cavus.