Ankle decisions — 2020

The Board has denied service connection for plantar keratosis and remanded the issues of service connection for left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, a left foot disorder, and a right foot disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow any substantially gainful employment since March 1, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection is remanded due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions regarding his right ankle, bilateral pes planus, back, and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for a left ankle disorder is granted, and the TDIU claim is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain has been rated at 40 percent since August 18, 2009.,The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective November 1, 2014.

The Board has denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and headaches disabilities. The claims for right knee and low back disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disorder and right leg disorder due to insufficient medical opinions in the March 2019 decision. The case is now before the Board again.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete VA examination and conflicting medical evidence. The Veteran is not service-connected for right or left ankle disabilities, but a current left knee disability may be present.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and reopened the claims for right ankle and left knee disabilities. The case is remanded to obtain VA examination results and provide an opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected low back disability and his right ankle and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of STRs and the need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an examination.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for left ankle arthritis, left knee arthritis, DDD/DJD of the thoracolumbar spine, or DJD of the cervical spine. The Veteran's STRs do not contain any records indicating these conditions during his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disability, finding no current evidence of such condition and noting that the Veteran is already service-connected for varicose veins which overlap with some symptoms.

The Veteran's right ankle disorder, manifested by pain, is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for a left knee condition and a right knee condition are granted as secondary to service-connected hallux rigidus of the right great toe and right ankle disorder.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for right ankle surgical scars is granted at 10 percent, effective July 1, 2011 to November 19, 2019. The Veteran's left shoulder strain and right ankle tibiotalar DJD are both rated at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to new evidence obtained from service treatment records and personnel records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis, thoracolumbar spine, secondary to cervical spine degenerative joint disease has been dismissed as the claim is not before the Board. The appeals for bilateral hand and wrist condition and bilateral foot and ankle condition are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating were denied. Service connection was not granted for right ankle disorder, left leg disorder, or back disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor related disorder was rated at 70 percent.

The Veteran's ankle disabilities are currently rated under the appropriate VA rating criteria. However, the Board finds that remand is necessary due to inadequate examination reports and conflicting evidence regarding ankle ankylosis.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, but the claims for high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, Type II, heart disease, and headaches are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence.