Ankle decisions — 2013

The Veteran's right ankle sprain has been productive of a marked limitation of motion, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a 20 percent rating since November 28, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling him for VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spondylosis with degenerative changes was granted. Claims for arthritis of the left wrist and hand, both feet, left elbow, right elbow, shoulders, hips, ankles, and knees were denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an eye disorder has been withdrawn. The Board finds no evidence of a current hearing loss disability under VA guidelines, thus denying the claim for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is granted for tinnitus as it was incurred during active duty and continues to persist.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional service treatment records, verify dates of active duty and inactive duty training (IDT), and schedule a VA examination for his claimed cervical spine and right hand disabilities. The issue of PTSD will also be addressed in the statement of the case.

The Board has determined that additional efforts are necessary to obtain the appellant's service treatment records and medical records from his incarceration period. The case is therefore REMANDED for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's disabilities, in combination, are of sufficient severity to permanently preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment consistent with his age, education, and occupation experience. Therefore, he is entitled to non-service-connected disability pension benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disability is likely related to his in-service combat injuries and playing basketball.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment records and conducting VA examinations to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's arthritis of the feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips and shoulders are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient opinions and missing records.

The Veteran's left knee joint effusion was granted service connection and assigned a noncompensable rating effective August 30, 2005. The RO increased the rating to 10 percent from February 23, 2008. A separate compensable rating of 10 percent for painful motion with joint or periarticular pathology was granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The primary issue is whether he can establish service connection for his right knee disability as secondary to his already service-connected right ankle sprain.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and providing a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected residuals of status post fracture of the left fibula. The Veteran is also required to provide authorization for VA to obtain private treatment records from 'General Hospital' in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his Army Reserve records and updated VA treatment records. He also needs to be examined for his left foot and elbow disorders, as well as his headaches and sinus disorder.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed for the Veteran's claims as the previous VA examinations were based on inaccurate factual premises and did not consider all relevant evidence. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and bilateral ankle disabilities, finding that there was insufficient evidence to link these conditions to her military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development due to outstanding medical opinions, verification of service dates, and a supplemental VA opinion.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for residuals of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and associated conditions, but her original claim was denied in November 1994. The appeal is currently remanded to consider whether the 1994 denial is final and if additional evidence supports a non-finality determination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal regarding any remaining issues that had been remanded to the Originating Agency.