Ankle decisions — 2014

The Board found no current left knee condition and denied service connection for a left knee disability.,Service connection was granted for right knee and left ankle disabilities, both of which are considered direct service connection as they are related to injuries sustained during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for further development to address the issues of entitlement to service connection for pes planus, a bilateral hip disorder, and a left ankle disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for frostbite residuals of the left and right lower extremities, as well as ankle sprains, have been denied due to the anatomical loss of these limbs.,Special monthly compensation has also been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left ankle is currently evaluated at 20 percent, and he seeks a higher evaluation. The Board finds that his disability does not warrant an increase beyond this rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities and compensation under 38 C.F.R. § 1151 for a palate defect resulting in various symptoms, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosed disability.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's employment status and VA treatment records are requested. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further review.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus disability aggravates his claimed bilateral ankle disability.

The Board found no evidence of a current left ankle condition or an in-service injury, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. The tinnitus issue is pending as it was placed in appellate status by the Veteran during her hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral ankle disorder, low back disorder, leg numbness, and cervical spine disorder, were not related to his active service. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left ankle disability is a result of an in-service injury, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that the evidence more closely approximates a 20 percent evaluation, warranting an initial rating of 20 percent for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles were denied by the Board.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, left knee disorder, upper back condition, and bilateral ankle condition. The claims for low back condition and right foot neuroma were also denied as new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen them.

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection for PTSD and found new and material evidence to reopen his claim of right ankle disability. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if he currently suffers from a right ankle disability related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disability, bilateral pes planus, and initial compensable rating for IGA nephropathy have all been denied.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence of any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, bilateral ankle problems, left hip disorder, and bilateral foot disorder. The decision is mixed as it grants some issues but denies others.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and left ankle disorders. The remaining issues, including those related to right knee disability, residuals of a right thumb and index finger flexor tendon injury, groin disorder, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right elbow disorder, left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, left hand disorder, sinus disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety disorder and PTSD), and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent since October 1, 2011. The rating reflects marked limitation of motion following surgery.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of various joint conditions, finding that they were not secondary to his service-connected low back disability.