Ankle decisions — 2018

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues related to service connection for GERD, bilateral knee pain, and bilateral ankle pain. Service connection is granted for cervical spine disability (neck pain) but denied for lumbar spine disability, bilateral hand and finger pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, hip pain, and shoulder pain.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is granted with service connection, and the Board finds that his current right foot disability may be related to his in-service injury. The case is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, anxiety disorder with panic attacks, TMJ as secondary to psychiatric disability, right ankle disorder, thyroid disorder, eye disorder, high lipid count, and weight gain has been granted. The rating assigned is 70 percent for depressive disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of service connection for right shoulder dislocation, right ankle sprain, left ankle disability, sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle synovitis is currently rated at 20 percent under DC 5271. The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity and manifestations of his service-connected ankle synovitis.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder disability, left hip disability, left knee disability, left ankle disability, and cervical spine disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,There is no credible evidence showing that the Veteran's current disabilities began during his military service or are related to any in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing Social Security Administration (SSA) records and need for clarification on the nature and etiology of his right knee, right ankle, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and coronary artery disease. The VA will obtain these records and provide further medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle disorders, as well as a back disorder secondary to his ankle disorders. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or the onset of arthritis years after separation.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from May 14, 2013 due to his service-connected disabilities. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to May 14, 2013, is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right wrist, right ankle, and first metatarsophalangeal joint conditions have been denied.,His claim for a higher rating for pleuritic chest pain with pleural adhesions, chronic bronchitis, and COPD has also been denied.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right foot injury (pes planus), and left foot injury (pes planus). The reasons given were that there was no current diagnosis of these conditions during or prior to the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence and requests for a personal hearing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right shoulder disorder, bilateral ankle and knee disorders, bilateral foot disorder, CTS (bilateral upper extremities), bilateral leg numbness, and asthma. The remand requires obtaining additional medical records, conducting new examinations to determine etiology, and ensuring compliance with directives.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current disabilities are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tendonitis of the right foot/ankle and residuals of a fracture to the right ankle/foot, as well as his claim for bilateral hearing loss, were previously denied in February 1979. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied in February 1979. The Board concluded that there is no evidence linking the Veteran’s current diagnosis of tinnitus to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, lumbar myositis (back condition), degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, left foot arthritis, right hip and left hip conditions, left ankle and right ankle conditions, a bilateral foot condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is now rated at 20 percent effective August 2012, which was the date of his VA examination. The previous rating of 10 percent has been maintained for the period prior to this.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the right ankle disability claim. The claims for service connection of right hip, right knee, and acquired psychiatric disabilities were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disorder as there is no current disability and the evidence does not show any in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current condition.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for arthritis with joint pain of the left and right ankles, knees, and hands. The claim of service connection for a finger joint disorder remains denied.