Ankle decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating increases are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and the claim for a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran does not meet the criteria for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not result in occupational impairment that prevents him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of October 4, 2013 for the award of service connection for right knee arthritis is granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a left ankle disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding his left ankle, left knee, and heart conditions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, cervical spine disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a nexus to his period of active service.,Service connection was also denied for left ankle disability and right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle disability is not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a pre-existing condition aggravated by military service.,For his acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically chronic fatigue syndrome, the Board has found insufficient information and needs further examination to determine its etiology.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and lumbar spine disabilities, but denied both claims. The right ankle disability is not considered to have worsened during service, while the lumbar spine disability is not related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and evaluations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including gout, low back disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle sprain, lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, gastrointestinal pain associated with Gulf War undiagnosed illness, and headaches associated with Gulf War undiagnosed illness.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and re-adjudication due to procedural issues, including the need to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) on the claims involving the left ankle disorder, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and SMC based on loss of use of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant requested to withdraw all remaining issues on appeal.

Service connection is granted for OSA as secondary to service-connected PTSD and MDD with an alcohol abuse disorder.,Service connection is granted for RLS as secondary to service-connected OSA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his right ankle disorder, finding that there is no nexus between his current right ankle arthritis and strain and his in-service injury.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral ankle and right knee disabilities, as well as a back disability. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection for posttraumatic headaches is remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and a respiratory disorder, finding that the Veteran did not have such conditions during or within one year after his military service.,There is no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptoms between the Veteran's military service and his current diagnoses.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral foot, ankle, hip, and knee disorders have been denied as they are not shown to be related to service.,The Veteran's claims for a heart disorder due to exposure to herbicide agents have also been denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine strain, chronic patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee, chronic rotator cuff syndrome of the right shoulder, painful scar of the right ankle, and chronic tendonitis of the left first metatarsophalangeal joint.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right knee, left knee, and right ankle disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability and tinea pedis are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's left hip arthrosis and its impact on his range of motion. The decision regarding service connection for left ankle arthritis remains denied.