Ankle decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of periods of active duty, ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. The Veteran's left knee, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left ankle conditions are all under review for service connection.

The Veteran's recurrent left ankle sprain is caused by the neurological manifestations of his service-connected back disability, and thus he has a separate disability that is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected condition. The Board finds in favor of granting service connection for this left ankle disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities, as well as his right and left foot disabilities, were not incurred in or related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected left hip, left ankle, right knee, and left knee disabilities was denied. The VA found that the current ratings adequately reflected the severity of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, right knee, and right ankle disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot disabilities. A temporary total rating (TTR) for one month following October 30, 2009 surgery on the left foot is also granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of his right ankle disability, onychomycosis, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, which is the only service-connected condition at issue, has been rated as 10 percent disabling since October 2009. Effective February 22, 2013, his disability rating was increased to 30 percent due to ankylosis of the ankle in dorsiflexion between 0 and 10 degrees. The Veteran is not entitled to SMC based on need for regular A&A or being housebound.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to missing evidence and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran is entitled to a new VA examination to determine the current nature and etiologies of his claimed left hip, back, left and right knee, left and right hand, right ankle, and coccyx disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for flat feet, bilateral ankle disabilities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The effective date for these conditions is September 19, 2006.

The Board has granted service connection for stenosis, spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative joint disease of bilateral knees. Service connection was denied for a bilateral ankle disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities are not related to his period of active service.,The Board also found that the Veteran's lower back disability is not related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's gout and arthritis of the hips, knees, and ankles were not shown to be related to service or any presumptive conditions.,The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's sleep apnea to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and determined that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for residuals of fracture of the left medial malleolus with malunion. The condition is considered to have been aggravated by service, as it was not noted at entrance but developed during or after service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA examination opinions and incomplete evidence. The Veteran is required to provide information about any private or VA treatment he may have had for his right eye, bilateral ankle/feet, bilateral knee, bilateral hip, and lumbar spine disorders.

The Board found that the Veteran's right leg disability was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service and is not shown to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial rating for left ankle sprain is denied as his symptoms do not warrant a higher than 10 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for eye disability, right ankle arthritis, and left ankle arthritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and left ankle sprain are causally related to his active duty service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected left ankle fracture and fungal infection of the feet do not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria. The current ratings are considered appropriate.