Ankle decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.,Service connection was also denied for bipolar disorder due to lack of competent medical evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board denied reopening the claim for a bilateral ankle disability due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for service connection for DJD of the lumbar spine is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's recent VA examinations for his right ankle sprain and degenerative joint disease, as well as left knee degenerative joint disease, did not comply with the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald and Sharp v. Shulkin. Therefore, a new examination is needed to assess the current level of severity of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed right ankle and right hip disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his in-service left ankle sprain. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have current disabilities in his right ankle or right hip.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches. The cases of right ankle disability, skin rash (undiagnosed illness), and acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure and has been granted service connection.,For the left ankle disability, a rating of 30 percent is granted based on marked limitation of motion. A higher rating of 40 percent is not warranted due to lack of ankylosis.

The appeal for service connection for PTSD is dismissed. The appeals for service connection for right and left foot disorders, a right knee disorder, a right ankle disorder, and right and left hip disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 11, 2010 for the grant of PTSD was denied as there is no evidence that he filed a claim within one year after his separation from service. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date would be February 11, 2010.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, diagnosed as a chronic left ankle sprain with mild laxity and instability, is rated at 10 percent since October 12, 2015. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for any period prior to October 12, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to insufficient explanations in previous VA examination reports. The claims include headaches, left knee disability, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, claimed left hip condition, and claimed bilateral ankle conditions.

The Veteran's right ankle condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,PTSD service connection is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if it preexisted service and was aggravated by service.,Bilateral hearing loss service connection is remanded as there are no audiometric standards used in the April 2015 VA examination, requiring conversion from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards.,Tinnitus secondary to PTSD or a service-connected disability is remanded due to its intertwining with the PTSD claim and need for a new VA examination.,Hypertension service connection is remanded as there are no audiometric readings provided in the April 2015 VA examination, requiring conversion from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards. Additionally, it needs a VA examination to determine if it is secondary to PTSD or medication for any service-connected condition.,Gastrointestinal and acid reflux conditions service connection are remanded as they are intertwined with the PTSD claim and need a new VA examination.,Vertigo service connection is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder disability and obstructive sleep apnea, and granted a 20% rating for his left ankle sprain from June 9, 2014 to October 17, 2016 and from February 2, 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of the Veteran's right ankle sprain and bilateral hearing loss for further evaluation due to recent testimony indicating an increase in severity since his last examination.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability, as the previous examination did not provide sufficient information.

The Board has granted service connection for a back condition, finding that the Veteran's current back symptoms are related to his in-service injury. The left ankle disability claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link between service and present symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hip, lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations in December 2013 and June 2015. The Veteran must be provided with an additional VA examination to determine the etiology of any current disabilities and their relationship to his period of service or any service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction, low back disability, and left ankle disability as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found no evidence supporting these claims.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a broken nose, and remanded the issues of right hand disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and right rib disability.

The Veteran's headaches are granted a 10 percent rating prior to August 8, 2013 and denied any higher. For the period beginning August 8, 2013, he is granted a 30 percent rating for his headaches. The Veteran's bipolar disorder is granted a 70 percent rating prior to May 4, 2013 and a 100 percent rating from that date forward.