Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for further medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee sprain, which is claimed as secondary to his left ankle strain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral knee disability, low back disability, erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD), and headaches (secondary to PTSD) are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been remanded for further development.

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations. The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, right ankle disorder, and compression fracture at T11-12 are under review.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for various conditions have been denied. The appeals are not granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine strain, right wrist strain, left knee disability, left ankle disability, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as his claim for a TDIU prior to August 13, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and further analysis of his exposure to herbicides.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 20 percent for chondromalacia patella of the right knee and a separate rating of 10 percent for right knee instability. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative arthritis of the right ankle was denied.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as service-connected. The left ankle disability remains rated at 10 percent, and the issue of a higher rating for the left knee disability is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right ankle disorder, including a lack of VA examination and private medical records from his post-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for right ankle, back, left foot, and right foot disabilities are all denied as they do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for a lumbar spine disability. The case is remanded for further development, including VA examinations and rating actions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of PTSD is dismissed. The appeal for an earlier effective date for right and left ankle disorders is denied. The appeals for initial ratings in excess of ten percent for the right and left ankles, as well as service connection for bilateral hip and knee disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is being asked to provide medical opinions regarding the etiology of various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, prostate disorder, erectile dysfunction, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and others. The claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for various shoulder, wrist, ankle, hip, and knee conditions as well as a lumbar spine condition. The Veteran's claim was not reopened due to the nature of the appeal.

The Veteran's right ankle condition has worsened since his last VA examination, and he is unable to perform certain activities due to pain. The case is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and chronic strain of the left ankle are being remanded due to insufficient opinions regarding causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, and the claims for multiple joint pains, right shoulder disability, back disability, right ankle disability, blindness (including light perception only), migraine headaches associated with TBI, and a disability of the tongue have all been granted. The effective date is not specified as it is prior to March 14, 2016.

The Veteran's left ankle injury, currently rated at 10 percent disabling, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as there is no marked or moderate limitation of motion.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for SMC prior to June 13, 2018. Since then, she does not qualify for a higher rate of SMC based on her current disability ratings.