Ankle decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including internal hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, right leg disability, left leg disability, right ankle disability (claimed as Achilles), right knee disability, left knee disability, right elbow disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and hypertension have been denied. The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses or etiologies related to these conditions that could be linked to service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right wrist disability, granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, and denied service connection for a right ankle disability and LLE radiculopathy. The case is remanded to obtain an opinion on the etiology of RLE radiculopathy.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the bilateral knees and ankles, finding that the Veteran's parachute jumps during military service contributed to his current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder and ankle degenerative joint disease on a presumptive basis due to in-service bone studies indicating arthritis. The issue of an increased rating for right knee arthritis is also granted.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection for a cervical spine disorder and asthma. The remaining issues have been remanded for further action.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board has determined that it warrants a higher rating of 30 percent due to ankylosis in dorsiflexion between 0 degrees and 10 degrees.

The Veteran's service connection claim for basal cell carcinoma is denied, and the right ankle disorder issue is remanded.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent. The left knee, cardiac, and low back disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for asthma, right ankle disorder, low back disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and bilateral knee disorder due to incomplete development of records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

Service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, right knee strain, PTSD, sinusitis, and rhinitis (bacterial and allergic) is granted.,An effective date prior to February 17, 2016, for the grant of a 10 percent rating for right ankle strain is denied. Service connection for PTSD, sinusitis, and rhinitis (bacterial and allergic) is also granted with an effective date of February 17, 2016.,The Veteran's service-connected PTSD aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has found that this rating adequately reflects his symptoms. The right knee and left ankle disabilities are both remanded for further examination to determine their current severity.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left knee disability, both claimed as secondary to the Veteran's right ankle disability. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for the right ankle disability was also denied.,There is no indication that any exposure basis (e.g., burn pit, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune) played a role in the Veteran's conditions.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as there were no issues on appeal. The Board found that the Veteran did not file a valid notice of disagreement for some of the issues and did not specify which foot he was referring to in his initial filings.

The Board has remanded the claims for an increased rating and earlier effective date for a right ankle disability due to incomplete procedural steps.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for increased ratings for DJD and TTS of the bilateral feet and ankles, as they are not adequately addressed in the November 2017 VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to incomplete medical records, lack of a full rationale in the previous VA examination, and new arguments regarding his left ankle disorder. The issues include psychiatric disorders, lumbosacral spine disorders, left knee disorders, left ankle disorders, right knee disorders, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle condition has been denied. The claims for PTSD, neck condition, back condition, and bilateral shoulder condition have been remanded.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection for residuals of a right ankle disability. The Veteran's current right ankle disability is being remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and pectoralis disability, low back disability, neck disability, and right ankle disability due to incomplete information about his Reserve service.