Ankle decisions — 2012

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left ankle disorder in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for her right shoulder and right knee conditions, as they are not shown to be related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, wrist, hip, and ankle disabilities, finding no evidence of direct service connection or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of his left ankle and foot disabilities, concluding that these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ankle disability, including his surgical arthrodesis and posttraumatic arthritis, is related to an in-service injury sustained while playing football. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board found no evidence of a left ankle disability during service and concluded that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board finds that a disability rating greater than 10 percent is not warranted for the Veteran's left ankle disorder due to moderate limitation of motion, which already takes into account any functional loss.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claims for left knee, low back, and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal contains two issues: a request for an increased rating for his right ankle arthritis and a claim for TDIU. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination, and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has requested that the issues be returned to the RO for reconsideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, knee, hip, ankle, and foot disabilities are related to his active service. The skin disability including skin cancer is not presumed or directly linked to his active duty.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected left ankle disability have been granted, with a 10 percent rating prior to August 18, 2010 and a 20 percent rating from that date. The maximum available rating under the applicable diagnostic code has been assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected varicocele and degenerative joint disease of both ankles. The case will be returned to the Board if further action is required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for headaches, hypertensive retinopathy, and bilateral ankle disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left ankle disorders due to the Veteran's Persian Gulf service, finding that his symptoms are indicative of an undiagnosed illness or a diagnosable but medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of residuals of pulmonary sequestrations, gout of the right wrist, knees, and right ankle, and anemia have been denied. The RO assigned staged ratings based on the severity of each condition.,For the period from September 27, 2002 to April 17, 2003, the Veteran's residuals of pulmonary sequestrations were evaluated at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and loss of feeling in his hands and arms. The preponderance of the evidence does not show these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for bilateral hip and ankle disorders, as well as her right knee disability and asthma, were denied. The issues of service connection for these conditions are pending.

The Board has determined that a timely substantive appeal was not filed following the August 2006 rating decision denying service connection for various conditions. The Veteran's appeal is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not shown to be related to active service or exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic orthopedic disabilities of the left ankle, knees, hips, hands, elbows, and shoulders have been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred during active military service or within one year post-service.