Ankle decisions — 2019

The appeal for right ear hearing loss is dismissed. The appeals for the low back disorder, left hip disorder, left ankle disorder, throat disorder, and right wrist disorder are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded other issues including initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for low back disability, service connection for right knee disability, service connection for left knee disability, service connection for bilateral shoulder disability, service connection for bilateral hip disability, service connection for bilateral shin splints, and service connection for bilateral ankle disability.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted as service-connected, likely due to his multiple service-connected disabilities.,Right hand, left ankle, right knee, and bilateral shin disabilities are denied as not being related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected left hip, cervical spine, and right ankle conditions are remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and to obtain outstanding records. The issues are related to rating his left acromioclavicular joint separation, right ankle sprains with degenerative joint disease, left ankle sprains with degenerative joint disease, and hypertension.

The Board has decided that the claims for service connection for left ankle disorder and back disorder due to ionizing radiation or as secondary to left ankle dislocation need further review. The decision is remanded because additional medical opinions are needed regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain STRs and VA treatment records, as well as for new medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed right hand condition, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, knee disorders, ankle disorders, and leg disorders.

The Board has granted the Veteran's NOD to the August 2014 and January 2015 rating decisions, finding that he had good cause for not filing his NOD within one year of those decisions. The issues on appeal were service connection for a right ankle condition and continuation of the left ankle disability rating.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, left ankle disability, and hypertension as there was no evidence that these conditions began during active duty or were related to such service.,While the Veteran claimed his current back condition may be due to a prior injury in 1976, the Board found insufficient medical evidence linking this condition to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation of his ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for bilateral knee disability. The current severity of the ankle conditions will be evaluated, and a new VA medical opinion will be obtained to address whether the knee disabilities are related to service.

The claims for service connection for bilateral ankle DJD, a bilateral knee disability, ED, and TBI have been granted.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for left ankle and knee disorders, which he contends are related to his in-service injuries. The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions were inadequate due to a lack of evidence and remanded the case for further development.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, and obstructive sleep apnea are granted as secondary to his service-connected type I diabetes mellitus. The Veteran is also granted a 10 percent disability rating for his left ankle scar.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right ankle, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities due to lack of evidence showing a relationship between these conditions and his military service.,The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various arthritic conditions, but has remanded them due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for any of the claimed conditions and thus, service connection is denied. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, RLE shin splints (right lower extremity), right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all issues related to his service-connected left shoulder disability, right ankle condition, low back condition, and upper back and neck condition.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and retinopathy.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination for a determination of the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and bilateral ankle disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.