Ankle decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for skin cancer, left shoulder disability, and left ankle disability. The Veteran's skin cancers were not related to in-service exposure or sun exposure. His left shoulder and ankle disabilities are not linked to his military service.,The Board found that the Veteran’s current left shoulder disability is not related to an in-service injury and denied service connection for it.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right plantar fasciitis and the left upper torso and lower extremity posttraumatic neuralgia have been granted. The claim of service connection for hypertension is remanded due to its inextricability with the loss of sense of taste claim, which also remains remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his right and left hip disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature of his current ankle disability, as well as the severity of his hip disabilities. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has granted separate 10 percent ratings for lost left and right knee extension under Diagnostic Code 5261, but denied increased ratings for lost left and right knee flexion. The TDIU claim is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hip and right ankle disabilities have been dismissed. The appeal for tinnitus has been granted. Appeals for initial ratings of anxiety disorder and CAD are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, left ankle, and right ankle disorders due to inadequate examination in a previous Gulf War General Medical Examination.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, traumatic right eye glaucoma, left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left foot sprain, and right foot sprain are being remanded due to the need for further development.,Service connection for prostate cancer is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, gastritis remains at 10 percent, and the right ovarian cyst was not found to be service-connected.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, neurogenic bladder condition, and sciatic nerve conditions are all rated at the maximum allowed under VA guidelines. The right ankle and right knee disabilities have also been granted increased ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability. The issues of service connection for multiple joint pains and polytrauma are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot, left foot, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The claim for back disability was also denied as there is no current diagnosis of a back disability related to active service.

The Board has determined that the VA examination conducted in November 2019 was inadequate and did not fully address the Veteran's claims. The case is being remanded to obtain a new opinion from a qualified clinician regarding whether the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities are causally related to his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee, left hand, and right hand conditions. The claims for a right ankle condition and plantar fasciitis are pending, while hearing loss and tinnitus have not been established.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for left ankle sprain, right knee strain, and lumbar strain are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Board requires a new examination that includes range of motion testing in active and passive motions, weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing conditions, and an assessment of functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disability, and bilateral shoulder disabilities. The claims for headaches, tonsillitis, strep throat, periodontal disease (pyorrhea), and sleep apnea are being remanded.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to service or any other relevant factor.

The Veteran's right and left ankle strains are each rated as 10 percent disabling prior to August 30, 2019, and as 20 percent disabling from that date. The Veteran’s lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 40 percent since August 30, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral knee disability, left ankle disability, right foot disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The cases are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those related to his left ankle and left knee conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient clinical data in the April 2015 VA examination, specifically missing range of motion findings for pain on passive motion and functional loss following repetitive use.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection.