Ankle decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability. However, there is insufficient evidence to establish bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral flat feet was aggravated by active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of a right ankle sprain and granted it, finding that new evidence supports the reopening of the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral ankle disability and thus, service connection cannot be granted. The claim is denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal for the claims related to osteoarthritis of the right ankle with tendinitis status post arthroscopy, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, osteoarthritis and bursitis of the right hip, and plantar fasciitis of the right foot, with plantar and Achilles bone spurs and degenerative changes.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, and denied his claim for service connection. The right foot and ankle issues were remanded due to allegations of increased severity since the last examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to missing records and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's claims for PTSD, sleep disorder, insomnia, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, fibromyalgia, and residuals of fractured nose are being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, status post fusion L4-S1, is currently rated at 20 percent and her radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities are also rated at 20 percent each. The appeal for higher evaluations has been granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, right ankle, and right foot disabilities as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD). The evidence received since the last final decisions is considered new and material. Service connection is granted for tinea cruris.

The Veteran's claims to service connection for right shoulder, bilateral wrist and finger, back, neck, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disorders have been denied as the evidence does not establish a nexus between his current diagnoses and military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current osteoarthritis of the right ankle is related to his in-service injuries, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to TDIU due to inadequate notice and examination, as well as outstanding private treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board if a decision on this issue is not made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin disorder, erectile dysfunction, and various other conditions have been denied. The Board found no current disability for the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for his low back condition, right knee condition, and right elbow condition. The VA examiners have provided opinions supporting these claims based on the Veteran's military occupation as a cook.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verification of his service periods and obtaining VA treatment records. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, sleep apnea, and left ankle disability are also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for chronic body pain, including as due to an undiagnosed illness under 38 C.F.R. � 3.317 and whether his current joint and muscle disabilities are related to any in-service disease, event, or injury.