Ankle decisions — 2012

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinea versicolor, with the condition being diagnosed during his first period of active service. The right ankle disorder is not related to service.,Service connection for a right ankle disorder is denied as there is no evidence of chronic right ankle disorder symptomatology within one year of discharge from service or after discharge.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the issues related to increased ratings for service-connected disabilities, including TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle disability is a chronic condition that began in service and continues to this day. The low back disability, however, was not found to be related to service based on the provided evidence.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is service-connected and found to be related to her military service.,Service connection for residuals of fractures of the right thumb and great toe, as well as a left breast scar, has been granted. However, noncompensable ratings have been assigned.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral pes planus, right hallux valgus, left hallux valgus, and bilateral shoulder osteoarthropathy, bilateral knee osteoarthropathy with chondromalacia, and bilateral ankle osteoarthropathy. The appeals were based on the Veteran's complaints of pain and tingling in his feet and joints.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral sprained ankles, left knee disability, low back disability, and left elbow disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were generally granted, with the exception of his request to reopen a claim for service connection for a right foot disability. The rating for residuals of fracture, dislocation of right ankle with traumatic arthritis was increased from 10% to 20% effective June 3, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or nexus to service. The only condition found with chronicity in service was sinusitis, which has been resolved and does not have residuals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle instability and pes planus were aggravated by military service, warranting service connection.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the August 1999 rating decision is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the claim for service connection for a left foot disorder. The right ankle disorder issue was also denied as there is no clinical evidence of any such condition.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues including service connection for psychiatric disorders, right ankle and foot disabilities. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, clarify the nature of her conditions, and determine if there are any secondary service connection claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no residuals of the left femur stress fracture, no current disability related to the upper respiratory infections, moderate limitation of motion in the left ankle sprain, no current disability related to the right foot stress fracture, and no compensable or higher disability ratings for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. For scoliosis, a noncompensable rating was assigned prior to July 26, 2010, and a compensable rating was assigned from that date onwards.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA joints examination to assess the current nature of his left ankle disability and request relevant ongoing VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back, bilateral foot, and bilateral ankle disabilities are related to his active service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder is causally related to service, but his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral thumb disorder are not due to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to clarify the severity of his service-connected low back disability and to determine if his left knee OA and right ankle disability are secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral ankle and knee conditions, bilateral shoulder conditions, residuals of rib fractures, a low back condition, circulatory disturbances of the legs and right toe amputation, and sleep apnea. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's residuals of a bimalleolar fracture of the left ankle are currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5271.,For his bilateral hearing loss disability, an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent is warranted as of April 5, 2011.

The Veteran has been granted status as a Persian Gulf War veteran and is entitled to consideration for undiagnosed illness under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1117 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.