Ankle decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition is dismissed as he withdrew the claim. The case remains on remand for other issues.,The Veteran’s scoliosis of the thoracolumbar spine disability does not warrant a higher rating due to its current level of impairment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right foot and ankle, shoulder, and knee disabilities are granted as new and material evidence has been received. However, the claims for these disabilities remain denied due to lack of a current disability related to service.

The Board denied an increased rating for bilateral pes planus/plantar fasciitis and a TDIU claim. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in 2009. The Board has reopened the claim for a right hip disability and remanded it, but did not reach the merits of other claims due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for digestive issues, numbness, tingling, and pain in left arm, numbness, tingling, and pain in left ankle and leg, and PTSD due to the submission of new evidence. The AOJ must obtain updated treatment records from Lebanon VAMC and Camp Hill OCS, provide a VA examination or medical opinion, and re-adjudicate the claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various upper and lower extremity disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The VA will need to schedule updated examinations that take into account the Veteran’s STRs.

The Veteran's appeals for cervical spine, thoracic spine, left eye, migraine headaches, right thumb arthritis, and right knee post-surgical scar disabilities have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for right knee degenerative joint disease, right ankle degenerative joint disease, PTSD, and right eye disability are pending and need further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, right ankle disability, and hypertension were denied due to lack of evidence showing the disabilities were incurred in or caused by military service. The claim for PTSD was granted as the Veteran has provided credible supporting evidence that he experienced an in-service personal assault.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. The reduction of the rating for left knee strain and instability from 40 percent to 10 percent and noncompensable, respectively, is found to be void ab initio.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for gout as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic arthritis of the right and left ankles. The evidence is in equipoise, supporting a finding that the Veteran's gout is proximately due to or the result of, or aggravated by, his service-connected posttraumatic arthritis of the right and left ankles.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, back disability, bilateral hip disability, left leg disability, and bilateral ankle disability as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.,There are no post-service medical records showing the Veteran sustained any injuries to his neck, back, hips, legs, or ankles during service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for complex regional pain syndrome, right ankle, status post tarsal tunnel release, and residuals of right ankle stress fracture are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for various lower extremity and joint disabilities, including edema, hip, hand, elbow, retropatellar pain syndrome, ankle, and rotator cuff syndromes, has been reopened. The claims are granted as the evidence shows that these conditions began during active service.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for left shoulder and left ankle disabilities due to new evidence submitted. The cases are remanded for further development and a medical opinion.

The appeal to establish service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions is granted, and the issues of entitlement to a right hip condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, and right calf condition are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right ankle disability was denied. The Board found that the severity of the disability did not warrant a higher rating. Additionally, the Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as he could engage in sedentary employment despite his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent, and his depression is rated at 30 percent. The decision grants the increased rating for the right ankle disability but denies a higher rating for the depression.

The Board has remanded three issues related to Raynaud’s-like vascular disability of the left foot, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and osteoarthritis of the left ankle due to pending appeals for effective date determinations.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for residuals of a left wrist injury, lumbar spine disability, and ankle disabilities. The claim for PTSD is also being remanded due to insufficient evidence.