Ankle decisions — 2018

The Veteran's left ankle disability is found to be etiologically related to his active service, and therefore service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right ankle disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for a closed fracture of the right ankle, lateral malleolus is denied as he failed to report for a necessary VA examination without good cause shown.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot and ankle conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and VA treatment records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral foot and ankle arthritis, and his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder and prostate cancer was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for either condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with bipolar disorder was granted, effective April 13, 2012.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for joint pain, loss of hand grip and muscle weakness, fatigue and swelling of body parts, and memory loss. However, it is not granted as these conditions are not found to be related to active service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from obtaining and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation since July 20, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle disability is not related to service or a service-connected condition, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed due to lack of pending claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral ankle disabilities are not related to his active service and therefore denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a lack of participation from the Veteran's appointed representative, Texas Veterans Commission.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Workers' Compensation records and a VA examination addendum opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent for his left knee disability, and denied his claims for right ankle and right foot disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ankle disability, finding that it is related to his service-connected heart condition.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosed left ankle disability, bilateral tinea pedis, or a disability manifested by body temperature irregularity.,Therefore, the claims for service connection for these conditions are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a disability rating higher than 10 percent for right ankle bursitis with strain and degenerative joint disease, as well as his claim for TDIU due to the need for additional development. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his left ankle disability, which has worsened since his last examination almost five years ago.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being considered. The rating decision on the right lower extremity radiculopathy claim is mixed, with some issues granted (20 percent from June 29, 2016) and others not (10 percent prior to that date). Service connection requests for epididymitis, sebaceous cyst on the back of the neck, and a sinus disorder are all pending as new evidence has been submitted. The Veteran's STRs show diagnoses of right ankle fracture, radiculopathy, and sinusitis.