Ankle decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle disability and left knee disability due to insufficient medical nexus opinions. The claims will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and tinnitus have been granted. However, the remaining claims related to bilateral lower extremity disability, bilateral upper extremity disability, urinary disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability (secondary to left ankle), lower back disability (secondary to left ankle), bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of a ruptured ear drum have been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's right knee and left ankle disabilities, as well as their impact on his employment. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the rating claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot and right ankle disabilities, finding no current disability other than a bunion. The Board concluded that any pain or numbness experienced by the Veteran was related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations, updated treatment records, and development of evidence regarding flare-ups and functional loss.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis has been denied.,Claims for effective dates prior to October 5, 1990 have also been denied for service connection for left ankle strain, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's left ankle sprain disability has not been evaluated since September 2015. The Board is unable to make a determination without a current examination due to the lack of recent medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease of both ankles, was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not related to any in-service injury. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

Service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder, lung disorder, and scars of the forearm and ankles is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depression) is granted.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 40 percent prior to July 16, 2012. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a TDIU for periods prior to September 1, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral hearing loss. The claims for service connection for low back, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities are remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining STRs for his Army Reserves service and an addendum medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that another remand is necessary to ensure proper evaluations and opinions for the Veteran's claimed osteoarthritis conditions, as well as his right foot bunion with spurring.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and new evidence received, including VA treatment records and a November 2017 VA examination report.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and back disorder due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right ankle strain with ossification and left ankle strain and sprain are each rated at 20 percent. The appeal for increased ratings is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities were denied. The right biceps tendon, left ankle Brostrom procedure, GERD and IBS, status post cholecystectomy, and status post total vaginal hysterectomy all remain rated at their current levels.,A compensable rating was also denied for the Veteran's left ankle scar.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder and lumbar spine disorder are now considered service-connected.,The Veteran's right ankle disorder is also now considered service-connected.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for left and right ankle conditions due to inadequate medical examination.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, and his right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent. The Board denied any increase in ratings for these conditions.