Ankle decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of any of his claimed conditions, and thus denied service connection for all issues. The left ankle and ulcer claims are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes, hypertension, left ankle disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, back disorder, and lumbar radiculopathy. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are etiologically related to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his disabilities and service. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, acquired psychiatric disorder, left ankle disability, right knee disability, or lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right and left shoulder, arm, hip, shin, ankle, and foot disabilities. The issues are related to whether these conditions arose during service or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for ear, low back, right ankle, and right foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing the conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's secondary service connection claims for his right and left ankle disorders, low back disorder, right hip disorder, and left hip disorder as they are not caused or aggravated by his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle arthritis, sleep apnea, and headaches.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on the evidence showing they are related to service.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for degenerative joint disease of various body parts due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis/replacement, and left ankle arthritis. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, meralgia paresthetica of the right thigh, left hip gout, right ankle gout, left elbow gout, left ankle gout, left toe/foot gout, left knee gout, and right knee gout has been granted. The rating for meralgia paresthetica of the right thigh is restored to 10%. Service connection for asthma and Meniere’s disease remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ankle disability and there is no evidence linking her claimed condition to service. The claim for service connection for a left ankle disability is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities other than PTSD. The Veteran's SMC claim was also denied as he did not meet the statutory criteria for housebound status.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's right ankle disability and left knee disability are related to his military service, including any secondary effects.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss of the left ear due to aggravation during active duty, but denied service connection for a left ankle condition as there is no evidence it was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for a separate rating in excess of 10 percent for the left ankle neurological disability and for adjudication of the TDIU claim, as information regarding the Veteran's educational and work history is needed to make these determinations.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities have been denied. Service connection has been granted for plantar fasciitis and hypertension.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, but these claims are still being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for a variety of conditions including back, knee, ankle, and brain injury issues. The VA will need to provide additional medical opinions to address the relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as for VA examinations. The Veteran was not contacted by the RO to reschedule her previously scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development regarding the Veteran's left ankle disability, including whether it is related to his service-connected left knee meniscectomy and if it was caused by or aggravated by that condition.