Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a left ankle disorder, psychiatric disorder (GAD), and PTSD due to conflicting evidence and insufficient opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's left knee strain results in ongoing pain and swelling, with flexion limited to 120 degrees. The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain is denied. Service connection for right ankle disability (right ankle sprain) and left foot disability (left foot sprain) are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a nasal disability and remanded the Veteran's claims for left shoulder, knee, and ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand all issues on appeal due to the need for additional service treatment records and personnel records.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 40 percent effective December 8, 2018. The right and left ankle strains are each rated at 20 percent effective November 18, 2006.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling medical examinations to determine if the Veteran's left ankle condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate opinions in his VA examinations and insufficient evidence regarding certain disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including VA audiological testing results and a new examination of his right ankle disability. The case will be returned to the Board after these issues have been addressed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hyperthyroidism, sinusitis with headaches, hypertension with diabetic nephropathy, right ankle disorder, back disorder, neck disorder, eye disorder (papilledema), and lung disorder due to missing medical records. The case must be developed by obtaining all relevant treatment records from VA and private sources.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including left foot/ankle sprain and callouses of the feet, hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastroenteritis, are not etiologically related to his active duty service.,Service connection for cervical spinal stenosis and upper respiratory disorder is remanded as further medical opinion is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left ankle disorders as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right foot disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the merits of multiple claimed conditions was denied in a December 2015 rating decision. The Veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) within one year after receiving notice of this decision, and thus his appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise and thus favorable to granting the claim.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as a right knee disability. The AOJ is instructed to obtain medical records from SSA and Texas Division for Disability Determination Services, and arrange for VA examinations to determine the nature of any diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is etiologically related to his active duty service.,Service connection for cervical spine strain and lumbar spine strain are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for bilateral ankle lateral ligament strain and cephalgia headaches are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome is granted as it was initially diagnosed during active duty service.,Service connection for TBI is remanded due to lack of medical records from the 1993 motor vehicle accident and incomplete service treatment records.,Entitlement to a special monthly compensation (SMC) for loss of use of a creative organ is held in abeyance as it is intrinsically intertwined with the remanded erectile dysfunction issue.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as service-connected.,There is no evidence of a current left shoulder disability, and the claim for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions and need for additional evidence. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being reviewed again with new examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to additional evidence of his service-connected disabilities, including back, left knee, and bilateral hip conditions. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The effective dates requested are not granted.,The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating for left ankle disability is denied as there was no worsening of symptoms within the one-year appeal period.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and digestive disorder is denied.,Rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee disorder is not granted.,Compensable ratings for impairment of the left and right hip are not granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability but has remanded the issue of service connection for residuals of TBI due to insufficient evidence.