Ankle decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Board hearing due to her inability to travel for the scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, characterized as residuals of right ankle fracture with traumatic arthritis, has been assigned a maximum 40 percent rating under the regular schedular criteria. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for his disability.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's foot and ankle conditions, including whether they are related to his service-connected left knee disability. The decision is pending as it remains unclear if any of these conditions are directly or secondarily caused by the service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for migraines was granted, and the effective date is set at January 8, 2009, but no earlier. The Veteran contends that her headaches have been rated based on inaccurate information from an earlier decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his knee, low back, and left ankle disabilities. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective April 12, 2005 due to her service-connected disabilities. The combined rating for her service-connected conditions reached 90% as of that date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination of his bilateral ankle strain and for obtaining updated private treatment records.

The Veteran's current back, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities are not related to his service-connected bilateral foot disability. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ankle disability and prostatitis were not incurred in service, but granted service connection for chronic prostatitis based on a presumption of soundness at entry into service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle sprain does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, as there is no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions that would justify such a higher rating. The current disability picture aligns with the assigned 20 percent rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting right ankle soft tissue swelling and hematoma sprain did not increase in severity during service, thus denying service connection for this condition. However, it was determined that his current degenerative arthritis of the right ankle is related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected schizoaffective disorder, depressive type with panic disorder with agoraphobia with psychotic features necessitates the need for regular aid and attendance due to his extreme mental health disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, ankle, and back disorders, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-service existence or aggravation. The Board also found that the current disabilities were not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was not granted for obstructive sleep apnea, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a bilateral eye disability, residuals of a head injury, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, memory loss, insomnia, or a sleep disorder.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the bilateral ankles, finding that there was no evidence of arthritis during or within one year after service. The Veteran's flat feet were not shown to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has been characterized as 'severe' and the Board determines a 30 percent rating is warranted based on this characterization.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a chronic right ankle or bilateral shoulder disability. The appellant's subjective complaints have not been supported by objective medical findings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals seeking to reopen claims for service connection for indigestion, asthma, and gall bladder disease have been withdrawn. The July 1999 rating decision is final as it denied service connection for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of legs, residuals of a left toe injury, indigestion, PTSD, vascular disease of the left leg, hypertension, and IBS due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were related to his military service. The Veteran's appeals have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received for any of these claims.

The Board found no evidence of a current right ankle disability and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection, finding no current disabilities or evidence of in-service injury. The Veteran was also denied service connection for a cracked facial bone under the right eye.