Ankle decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded several issues related to the appellant's service connection claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disorder and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his right inguinal hernia repair.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of psoriasis vulgaris, psoriatic arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and psoriatic arthritis of the cervical spine, hands, feet, elbows, wrists, ankles, and shoulders render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. After considering all evidence, including reasonable doubt, TDIU is granted.

The Board denied service connection for low back, right ankle, and hypertension disabilities. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of a chronic condition within one year of separation from service or any nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging an orthopedic examination to assess the severity of his left ankle disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck, shoulder, right-hand, knee, foot, and ankle disabilities are not properly adjudicated due to inadequate medical opinions provided by VA examiners. The Board therefore remands these issues for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking service connection for various conditions, including left ankle disorder, nerve condition, joint pain, muscle pain, acid reflux, memory trouble, asthma, sleep apnea (claimed as a sleep disorder), scalp folliculitis (claimed as skin problems), and headaches. The claims were dismissed.

The claims for service connection for right ankle disability and tubal ligation were denied as new and material evidence was not received. The claim for PTSD has been reopened, but the preponderance of the evidence is against finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's appeals for left ankle, left foot, and frostbite residuals of the bilateral feet conditions have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded cases involving back condition, left knee condition, right ankle condition, and right foot condition (claimed as degenerative joint disease).

The Board has granted a 50% disability rating for bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claimed left ankle, right ankle, left hip, right knee, and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his left ankle posttraumatic arthritis with Achilles tendinopathy.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and secondary service connection for bilateral deltoid ligament strains of the ankles and a chronic adjustment disorder with anxiety, all related to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus.,There is no evidence provided that suggests any specific exposure basis or direct service connection.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent since April 1, 2012. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to a higher rating of 20 percent for his right ankle disability due to marked limitation of motion.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a generalized right leg disorder other than a right ankle disorder and a right ankle disorder has been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including arthritis in various joints and limbs, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, and right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain STRs and VA examinations regarding his diabetes, left arm/elbow disorder, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) beginning February 9, 2016, but not earlier. The effective date of the TDIU award is fixed in accordance with the facts found and was factually ascertainable that the Veteran was unemployable within one year prior to February 9, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for further examination and review.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings of his service-connected CRSD and PTSD, right ankle osteoarthritis, status post avulsion fracture, and right ankle scars have been granted. However, the specific rating assigned is not provided in this decision.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including low back disability, left ankle sprain, and mechanical right ankle pain. The main reasons for remand are due to inadequate examinations that did not address functional loss during flare-ups or with repeated use over time.