Ankle decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee and ankle disorders, and weak feet were denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability during service or that any current disabilities are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and arthritis may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has granted service connection for psychotic disorder and assigned a 70 percent rating effective January 8, 2010. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for left and right ankle conditions have been withdrawn due to his request for TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, left wrist, right wrist, left hip, and right hip disabilities due to lack of a current disability during or after active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the left knee is not related to her military service or her service-connected right knee disorder, and thus cannot be granted service connection.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current bilateral ankle condition and her military service.

The Veteran's left ankle condition is found to be etiologically related to service, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Veteran is now entitled to increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and mood disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of periods of active duty and inactive duty training, and a VA examination to determine the relationship between his current disabilities and service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right foot and ankle disability. The VA examiner provided a negative opinion, attributing the current condition to an injury after separation from service. Additional evidence is needed to determine if the condition had its onset during active service or is related to any in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right ankle disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a left ankle disability incurred during or as a result of his active duty service, including as secondary to his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's back, bilateral ankle, and bilateral foot disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected left ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability warrants a schedular evaluation of 20 percent, but not more, throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran requested the withdrawal of her claims for higher ratings in multiple service-connected conditions, and the Board has dismissed these appeals.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's right ankle and sinus conditions, as well as whether service connection should be granted for these conditions. The case is therefore being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and Gulf War exposure-related conditions. The Board has remanded the case to schedule a hearing before the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip and right ankle disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.