Ankle decisions — 2014

The Board has granted service connection for left foot subtalar arthritis, finding that the current disability is likely due to an injury sustained during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosed bilateral ankle disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected left ankle disability. The Veteran's claims on appeal will be readjudicated after the additional development is completed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral ankle degenerative joint disease, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and credible history of symptoms since service are sufficient to establish a nexus between his current disabilities and active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right index finger fracture. The TDIU claim will also be addressed during this process.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and providing the Veteran with notice of secondary service connection requirements.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left ankle disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including another VA compensation examination.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for low back disability, increased rating for cervical spine strain, and compensable ratings for chronic hypersensitivity of the penis and recurrent right ankle sprain. The claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left ankle disability was granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent prior to May 1, 2012 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's right ankle disability, sleep apnea, and psychiatric disability claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including cancer and joint issues, were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine, right shoulder, left shoulder, right leg, left leg, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was not manifested by ankylosis of the spine, incapacitating episodes of at least 6 weeks within any 12 month period, or associated neurological manifestations of the lower extremities or bowel/ bladder manifestations.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and requests for VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending, as well as a request for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD and TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder have been denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed right hip or right ankle disability and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability was denied as there is no evidence of a current right ankle disability that can be linked to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a video conference Board hearing in Washington DC. The claims will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Veteran's arthritis of the right ankle is found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected fracture-dislocation of the right foot subtalar joint, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle strain resulted in pain on motion but did not result in more than moderate limitation of motion, warranting a 10% disability rating for the period prior to December 8, 2011.