Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased disability evaluations and service connection claims due to a withdrawal request by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea, vision disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and right hip disability are not related to service. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for right knee and right ankle disabilities have been dismissed. The appeal for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and spine disabilities due to new medical evidence. The cases are now remanded for further development.,New evidence supports reopening of the Veteran’s claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, left elbow, right elbow, left wrist, right wrist, left knee, right knee, left ankle, cervical spine, and lumbar disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle condition, finding that there is no medical evidence to support a link between his current left ankle condition and his service-connected knee disabilities. The Board also found that the left ankle condition was not incurred in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and low back disabilities have been granted.,The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection for right and left hip disabilities to pes planus have also been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine the etiology of his right eye disability and procuring any outstanding pertinent medical records.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been dismissed as the issues were not properly raised in his notices of disagreement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of his right shoulder disability and headache disability. The left knee and right knee disabilities are now considered as secondary to a pre-existing condition (lumbar spine).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including irregular heartbeat, BPH, high cholesterol, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, kidney condition, skin condition, right hand tremors, left hand condition, knee conditions, ankle conditions, shoulder arthritis, and lower bilateral gout are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's service records do not provide clear evidence of his claimed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Further efforts should be made to confirm this information.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right ankle disorder, a right knee disorder as secondary to a right ankle disorder, and infertility. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD prior to December 31, 2018, and in excess of 50 percent from that date was dismissed. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee chondromalacia patella and right knee chondromalacia patella were granted. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left ankle strain is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left ankle fracture and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting a compensable rating for the left ankle fracture, and also found no nexus between the current TMJ disorder and in-service jaw injuries.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and left ankle disabilities due to conflicting medical evidence regarding current diagnoses.

The Veteran's left knee strain has been granted an initial 10 percent rating, effective November 27, 2011.,A separate initial 10 percent rating for instability of the left knee is also granted, effective November 27, 2011.,An initial 10 percent rating for the left ankle sprain is granted, effective November 27, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for a right wrist disability, left ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) have all been denied. The Board found no current disabilities for these conditions.,Additionally, the Veteran's claim for a sleeping disorder associated with PTSD has also been denied.

The Board has denied service connection for various disabilities, including left ankle disability, residuals of cold injuries to the lower extremities, and right hip, low back, and right ankle disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle disability and back disability as secondary to right knee disability are both denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities, right knee disability, shin splints of the lower extremities, and low back disability. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also granted as new and relevant evidence was submitted.