Ankle decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are related to his military service. The Veteran's lumbago is found to be aggravated by his left ankle disability, while his left knee and left ankle disabilities are found to be causally related to events during his active service.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, glaucoma of both eyes, and sleep apnea. The psychiatric disorder claim was denied as the Veteran did not provide verified inservice stressor.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining missing VA treatment notes and SSA medical records, scheduling a VA ankle examination, and requesting that the Veteran provide lay statements regarding his employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right lateral epicondylitis (elbow disability), right shoulder rotator cuff disability, and a right ankle disability. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his right knee, left knee, and left ankle disabilities as secondary to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle and foot disabilities are not related to his service-connected left knee disability.,There is no current diagnosis of a muscle disability of the left lower extremity.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant is denied as he does not meet the eligibility criteria. The effective date for service connection of bilateral knee extension issues is denied as it occurred after August 11, 2010. Initial compensable ratings for limited extension of the left and right knees are also denied.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle disorder, skin disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, and headaches have been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran has any of these conditions resulting from an undiagnosed illness or in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining records from Womack Army Medical Center and providing a new medical opinion regarding the cause of his ankle conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left ankle muscle injury or any residuals thereof, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was granted a 40% rating effective January 10, 2013. He also received service connection for associated post-surgical scars of the left ankle with initial noncompensable and later increased to 10% ratings.,Prior to this decision, his left ankle disability had been rated as 40% since March 18, 2009.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and disability ratings have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals, right ankle musculoskeletal strain are currently rated at 10 percent. The claims for increased evaluations for migraine headaches and traumatic brain injury with organic affective disorder and cognitive disorder remain denied.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current left knee disability related to service, and thus the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a right ankle disability during or after service. The Veteran's current right ankle condition was not shown until 2007, which is too long after his separation from service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, characterized by a distal fibula fracture and strained ligaments, is currently rated at 10 percent under the criteria for limitation of motion. The Board finds that this rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate evidence regarding the Veteran's left ankle disability and new issues involving hemorrhoids, colon cancer, enlarged prostate, Graves' disease, and pulmonary sarcoidosis. The Veteran will be provided with a Statement of the Case for these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a new VA examination due to inconsistencies in the previous opinions and because of the nature of the issues at hand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to his incarceration, which prevented him from attending a VA examination. The case will be returned to the Board for further review.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right ankle and right knee disabilities, as well as his traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The issues include reopening of service connection claims and new service connection claims.