Ankle decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of various disabilities and to obtain relevant VA treatment records. The claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the Veteran's dishonorable discharge from active military service. The tinnitus claim is granted, but other conditions are being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's appeals for initial noncompensable ratings for his right knee and right ankle disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated medical examinations that comply with VA examination guidelines.

The Veteran's claim for left ankle disability is denied. The claim for tonsil/throat cancer is allowed to reopen, but the service connection remains denied. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further examination. Residuals of throat/tonsil cancer are also remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for a low back disorder, sleep apnea, and right ankle disorder. However, it has denied these claims as there is no current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, increased ratings for shoulder and ankle disabilities, asthma, and scars are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for twitching of the eye, finding that there is no evidence linking this condition to his active service. The claims for increased ratings for left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, thoracic muscle strain, and right shoulder strain are remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and right ankle disabilities due to incomplete review of medical records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, right shoulder, right iliotibial band syndrome, and right ankle sprain residuals are service-connected as of May 4, 2009.,Service connection for PTSD was established as of July 6, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim. Other claims, including secondary service connection for back and left knee disabilities and bilateral pes planus, as well as TDIU, are remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's initial ratings for various service-connected conditions were granted or denied. The appeal is mixed, with some issues having their initial ratings granted and others not.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease and left ankle strain. The claim for a respiratory disability is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for back condition was granted. New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's back brace is judged to cause wear and tear on his clothing, which meets the criteria for a clothing allowance. The medication used for his shoulder condition does not qualify for an additional allowance.

The Veteran's increased ratings for residuals of compound, comminuted fracture of the distal right tibia and fibula with residual scars, and status post right ankle fusion are denied. The maximum rating under Diagnostic Code 5271 is granted from June 20, 2011 to October 1, 2017 for the compound, comminuted fracture of the distal right tibia and fibula with residual scars. After October 1, 2017, a rating in excess of 30 percent is denied for status post right ankle fusion.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The right ankle disability claim is remanded as additional records are needed.

The Board denied entitlement to higher evaluations for postoperative residuals of left ankle fracture, peripheral neuropathy of the left lateral foot and ankle, and postoperative scars of the left ankle on an extraschedular basis as the symptoms are adequately contemplated by the applicable diagnostic criteria.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of service connection for a left ankle disability has been granted. Service connection for asthma is denied.,Service connection for the left ankle disability and PTSD are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a sinus condition, but denied service connection for scarlet fever and arthritis. The left calf scar remains remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for tinnitus, bladder disability, skin disability, loss of teeth, chronic pain syndrome, blood clot on lungs, hypertension, and permanent incapacity were dismissed. The claims for service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities are reopened but further development is needed due to the complexity of the issues.