Ankle decisions — 2015

The Veteran's chronic conjunctivitis is found to be related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The appeal for a higher rating for residuals of a left ankle fracture is dismissed as the Veteran did not file an appeal.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, characterized by sprain with osteochondral injury and chondromalacia talus, was rated at 10 percent prior to May 22, 2009; 20 percent from May 22, 2009 to January 6, 2014; and 40 percent thereafter. The Veteran's entitlement to a higher rating is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The right ankle sprain issue is remanded for additional development.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's current left ankle and plantar fibromatosis conditions are etiologically related to service. The Veteran's in-service complaints were not diagnosed as chronic conditions, and there is no medical opinion linking his current conditions to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have its onset in or is otherwise attributable to service. The Board also determined that the Veteran's right ankle disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed low back disability, thus denying the claim for service connection for this condition. The Veteran's bilateral ankle disorder was not diagnosed during the appeal period and therefore is not addressed herein.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, right ankle sprain, left ankle sprain and/or fracture, low back pain, tinnitus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and diverticulitis. The reasons provided were that there was no evidence to support these claims based on the available records.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of the case as he is deceased.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the presence of qualifying chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol is denied as it does not constitute a disability. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for PTSD, anxiety, and depression due to lack of verification of claimed stressors. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral ankle disorder, arthritis of hands, and hypertension will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional treatment records. The issue of rating his right ankle disability remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and continued the noncompensable rating for his service-connected left ankle disability. The claim for an increased rating for the left ankle disability was granted to 20 percent from February 2008 to March 2014, but denied for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a groin disability and denied service connection for secondary hip, ankle, and tendonitis disabilities. The case is remanded to obtain additional VA examination records and determine if there are any new symptoms or increased severity of his left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The reduction in rating of coronary artery disease was not proper as there was no actual improvement in the disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues on appeal, including service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and Epstein Barr Virus.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right ear hearing loss, bilateral hand disability, and higher initial ratings for iliotibial band syndrome of the right knee and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of records.

Service connection for arthritis in the hands is not granted as there is no evidence of such condition during service or within one year thereafter.,The claim to reopen the matter of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as new and material evidence has not been received that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (no noise exposure in service).,The claim to reopen the matter of service connection for a back disability is denied as new and material evidence has not been received that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (no current chronic back disability shown).,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the matter of service connection for a left ankle disability. The Veteran now has a diagnosed left ankle osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right foot disability and initial compensable ratings for left ankle injury and left foot degenerative joint disease were denied. The Board found no evidence of current right foot disability or any other compensable disability during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, and foot conditions, as well as cardiac disorder, acute MI, urinary disorder, and hyperthyroidism, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.