Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus with posterior tibial tendonitis and bilateral talonavicular joint degenerative changes (ankles).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee tendinitis, right knee tendinitis, and right ankle tendinitis and strain due to lack of response regarding VA treatment records and need for new examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and the retrieval of relevant treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral arm/shoulder disability, low back disability, left knee disability, bilateral ankle and foot disabilities, bilateral eye disability (claimed as myopia), left ear hearing loss, and PTSD. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability or a causal relationship to military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for a low back disorder, left and right ankle disorders, as well as his right knee, left knee, and right inguinal hernia disabilities. The appeal for TDIU is also remanded.

The Veteran's left ankle DJD status post reconstruction with scar is granted a 20 percent evaluation, which approximates marked functional impairment.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for asthma, a left ankle disability, and a lumbar spine disability (to include bilateral radiculopathy). The claims for service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ankle disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The right ankle and knee disabilities are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine their etiology.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection for left ankle dislocation and back disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for constipation was denied, and the right ankle condition claim was denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted. The Veteran's eczema was granted a 30% disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disability as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for right thumb fracture, left ankle injury, and right ankle injury are granted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for these conditions are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional information and evidence, specifically regarding missing service treatment records from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB).

The Veteran's service connection claims for right epicondylitis, right and left ankle degenerative joint disease, and a right knee disability are granted. The Veteran is also awarded a 10% evaluation for his right and left ankle disabilities prior to February 4, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple service-connected conditions have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings for his right shoulder, left and right knee disabilities, cervical spine condition, ankle disabilities, tinnitus, or scars.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, right ankle disability, and numbness and paresthesias in bilateral lower extremities have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,Service connection cannot be granted because the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of shin splints. The Veteran's reported symptoms are not related to his service-connected right ankle disability.

Service connection for a left ankle disability is denied.,The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension is denied. New and material evidence has not been received to reopen this claim.,Entitlement to service connection for residuals of prostate cancer, to include as due to exposure to ionizing radiation, is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, right knee degenerative joint disease, and ankle disorder. The appeals were not timely filed.

The Veteran's right foot condition is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for right knee patellar tendinitis and chondromalacia patella, and left ankle sinus tarsi syndrome are granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as the evidence supports a finding that he has experienced ringing in his ears since separation from service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because there is no evidence of a current disability or a diagnosis within one year of separation from service.