Ankle decisions — 2021

The Board has denied service connection for a low back condition, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims were previously remanded to obtain treatment records and provide an examination.,Service connection was not granted for OSA as it is secondary to the Veteran’s service-connected rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral ankle disability and whether it is related to his service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the left ankle condition predated service and was aggravated by active duty.

The Board has remanded several issues, including reopening of claims for service connection and increased ratings for various disabilities. The effective dates for the awards are not specified.

The Veteran's right leg disability is rated at 30 percent effective July 27, 2020. The Board found that a higher rating was warranted for his condition after considering the evidence of marked knee disability since then.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal and psychiatric conditions due to incomplete development of records from his active duty service.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the merits of the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has granted separate compensable ratings of 10 percent for right ankle limitation of motion and left ankle limitation of motion, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claims for entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, low back disability, left ankle disability, bilateral hip disabilities, and bilateral leg disabilities were granted. A rating of 10 percent was assigned for left knee chondromalacia from February 28, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right knee condition is related to his service. The VA examiner needs to consider the Veteran's reports of continuous right knee pain since service and provide an opinion on its relation to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle condition, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the service connection for a left ankle disability. Additional development is needed, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle condition, to include as secondary to his right ankle disability, needs further examination and medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disorder and a left femur fracture, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that an evaluation in excess of 20 percent is not warranted.,Loss of use of the right foot has not been demonstrated.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right elbow disability did not have its onset during service or within the first post-service year and is not otherwise related to any disease or injury in service.,The Board has also found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s left ankle sprain or weakness had its onset during service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left foot disability, but denied service connection for his left ankle disability. The left foot disability is presumed to have had its onset during active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a cervical-thoracic spine condition, right and left ankle conditions, traumatic brain injury, and headaches. The Board found that there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right ankle and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need to obtain private medical records from orthopedists who have treated him. The TDIU claim is also being remanded for further development.