Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder was denied. The claim for new and material evidence regarding his bilateral foot disorder was granted, allowing the reopening of that claim. His atypical migraine headaches were found to be very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks capable of being productive of severe economic inadaptability, warranting a 50% evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including left knee tendinitis, bilateral foot disability, left ankle sprain, erectile dysfunction, urinary disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depression), and bruxism. The reasons given were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's time in service.

The appeal is remanded due to insufficient records of the Veteran's specific periods of active duty, ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA service. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if her right ankle disability is related to her military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, left knee disability, low back disability, tremors of the hands and legs, cold injury residuals, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and lung disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for additional examination.

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

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance or housebound status was denied as she does not require the regular aid and attendance of another person or is permanently housebound solely due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for anemia is granted. The claims for right and left ankle disabilities, hypertension, kidney disease, and neoplasms are remanded.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's OSA first manifested during service and was incurred therein. Service connection for OSA is granted. The Board also finds that there are issues with respect to the Veteran's right knee, left knee, and right ankle disorders due to lack of probative value of previous VA examination reports.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine and tension headaches are rated at 50 percent, the highest available under Diagnostic Code 8100. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his combined disability rating of 90 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle fracture is a result of her service-connected PTSD with bipolar disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability is found to be the primary cause of his residuals of left femur fracture and left ankle sprain. The issues regarding rating for degenerative joint disease of the left knee, limitation of flexion of the left knee, and left ankle sprain with degenerative joint disease are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee and right ankle disabilities are being remanded due to the RO not readjudicating them after additional VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle and left knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a right ankle sprain, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to multiple sprains in service and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a left ankle condition and headaches are denied, while his claim for PFB is granted. The Veteran's claim for a left knee condition remains pending due to the need for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, right and left ankle conditions, as well as a rating in excess of 10 percent for a painful scar on the right upper back. The Veteran's claim was not established for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection and assigned a 10% rating for the Veteran's left and right ankle conditions, as well as his left and right hip conditions. The ratings are based on painful limitation of flexion under Diagnostic Code 5260.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left foot, left ankle, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for left shoulder and ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for a low back disorder, was granted. The low back disorder is found to be secondary to the service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities.