Ankle decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and multiple neuropathies, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, and arthritis of the first metatarsal joints have been denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left leg condition has been reopened. The Board will now review the underlying claims for service connection de novo, based on the whole record. Additional medical examination is needed to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine, right thigh, bilateral knee, bilateral ankle, and bilateral heel disabilities; and for an opinion on the issue of service connection for a left leg condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and left foot disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle disability, including degenerative arthritis, did not have its onset in service and was not manifested to a compensable degree within one year following service discharge. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his left lower leg, left ankle, and left foot disorders due to lack of evidence showing more than a 10 percent rating for the left lower leg disorder, ankylosis for the left ankle disorder, or severe symptoms for the left foot disorder.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating, SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance, and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating for his ankle disability or for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various disabilities including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy, left wrist and right wrist avascular necrosis, as well as a higher rating for his cervical spine disability. The appeal also includes an issue regarding TDIU.,The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, and avascular necrosis of both wrists. He also requests a higher initial rating for his right ankle disability and entitlement to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.,,,The Veteran seeks service connection for avascular necrosis of the right wrist due to service-connected right ankle disability. The appeal includes an issue regarding TDIU.,,,

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and providing additional opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a new VA examination to assess the severity of his knee, ankle, and low back disabilities.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA examination results for the Veteran's right ankle and knee disabilities, as well as any relevant private treatment records. The Veteran will be provided an opportunity to submit or authorize VA to obtain these records.

The Board granted an increased disability rating of 20 percent for the right ankle disability from April 30, 2015. The Veteran's right ankle disability was previously rated as 10 percent prior to October 13, 2010 and then raised to 20 percent effective April 30, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed back, left ankle, bilateral hip, and bilateral knee disabilities are not related to service. The evidence does not show a current disability or any nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied, and the Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence indicating his service-connected conditions may have worsened.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee and bilateral ankle disabilities. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed right ankle disability and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 60 percent effective November 19, 2015. The left ankle disability was assigned a 20 percent evaluation effective the same date.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work.