Ankle decisions — 2017

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle condition needs to be remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for clarification of his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral ankle disabilities are not related to his military service, including an in-service injury during annual training. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's skin disability and left ankle disability are found to be related to service, thus service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current disabilities, including lower back strain, bilateral knee and ankle disorders, are not related to service or any injury sustained therein.

The Veteran's appeals for initial compensable ratings for right hip tendonitis, right ankle tendonitis, and lateral epicondylitis tendonitis of the right elbow have been granted.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for residuals of a right ankle sprain and residuals of a coccyx contusion, granted service connection for a skin disorder (psoriasis and dermatitis), and remanded the issues of service connection for a sleep disorder, a disorder manifested by blackouts, a disorder manifested by dizziness, an eye disorder, residuals of a right ankle sprain, residuals of a right great toe injury, and residuals of a coccyx contusion for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle arthritis was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred, and is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new VA examination to address service connection and rating issues.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of a neck condition and dystonia during his February 2017 Board hearing. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The reduction in disability rating from 20 percent to 10 percent was upheld, but the Veteran withdrew his claims for PTSD and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD cannot be granted due to lack of verified in-service stressors. The left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and grants service connection for this condition. The issue of whether the Veteran's bilateral ankle disability is also secondary to his service-connected bilateral hip disability remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including skin disorders, hypertension, COPD, arthritis of the right ankle, and gout. The VA examiner opined that these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for undiagnosed right ankle and foot joint pain, which is characterized as a qualifying chronic disability due to his service in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. The claim was decided on a presumptive basis.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum to the September 2011 VA examination, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination regarding his sleep apnea claim, and obtain any outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to assess the severity of his left ankle disability and considering the issue of entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a left ankle disorder and granted service connection based on direct evidence showing that the Veteran's current disability is related to her military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ankle disability, bunions on his left foot, and hallux valgus on his right foot do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to the Veteran's left knee and ankle disabilities, including a need for an updated VA examination.