Ankle decisions — 2021

The Veteran's right ankle disability is being remanded for further evaluation and consideration of his claim.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for service connection of various conditions has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran now meets the criteria for service connection for a right knee strain.,Additional development is needed due to the Veteran's complaints of worsening symptoms and lack of recent VA examinations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for further evaluation of his service-connected ankle disabilities and other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep obstructive sleep apnea and a left ankle disability are being remanded due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are granted as service connected. The Veteran's left ankle disability is remanded for further examination.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea and granted a 20% rating for the Veteran's right ankle disability, effective October 21, 2009. The appeal is remanded for additional development regarding PTSD.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, ankles, and toes is granted service connection. The Veteran's Alzheimer's disease and cervical spine DDD are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's right hip, right ankle, and low back disabilities are granted service connection.,Prior to February 7, 2021, the Veteran was awarded a compensable rating for left shin splints.

The Veteran's right ankle disability and scar are granted service connection. His generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder are granted a rating of 70 percent effective September 25, 2019, with a separate rating for instability due to his knee condition. The Veteran is also granted TDIU effective July 3, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left hip conditions, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss as they were not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities have been rated at 20 percent each, effective July 18, 2013. The Board has granted increased ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for bilateral pes planus, claimed as plantar fasciitis; left ankle condition; right ankle condition; left knee condition; and right knee condition. The appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's right ankle traumatic arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, and his low back disability is granted service connection. The rating for the right ankle remains unchanged, while the low back disability receives a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's lichen simplex chronicus, affecting his right calf and causing painful sores and scarring, is granted a rating of 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right shoulder, ankle, knee, heart, and bilateral eye disorders, due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability, as it was not adequately addressed in the previous examination and due process of law needs to be ensured.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his below the right knee amputation, finding that it was not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability. The need for SMC based on aid and attendance or housebound status was also denied as the Veteran does not meet the criteria under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for OSA, gout, hypertension, spine condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition have all been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions that these conditions were incurred in or a result of his active-duty service.