Ankle decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are all granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disorders.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, characterized by ankylosis with inversion deformity, pain, swelling and severe limitation of motion, is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent. The Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms are encompassed by the current rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of tinnitus and credible reports of its onset during service, resolving all doubts in his favor. Service connection for neck disorder, radiculopathy of upper extremities, right shoulder disorder, and left ankle disorder is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psoriatic arthritis is related to his service-connected psoriasis and grants service connection for all claimed conditions on a secondary basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle condition is related to his service. The Veteran testified that he injured both ankles in a fall during service, and VA records show ongoing treatment for left ankle issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine degenerative joint disease, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, right ankle sprain, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined service-connected disability rating of 80 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases of the Veteran's right hand/wrist condition, left ankle condition, and low back condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to left ankle, right knee, and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for further development of his dates of active service.,An effective date earlier than July 1, 2015 is not warranted as the increase in PTSD symptoms was factually ascertainable within one year from the submission of the Veteran's intent to file a claim.

The Board denied service connection for left knee strain, back disability, right and left ankle strains/sprains, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, MDD, anxiety) due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various hip, knee, ankle, and back disabilities due to incomplete compliance with previous remand orders. The case must be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for determining the severity of service-connected left and right ankle strains. Another examination is needed that provides specific measurements of active motion, passive motion, pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right knee disorder, respiratory disorder (bronchitis), dyslipidemia, warts, and right ankle disorder have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative disc disease with degenerative spondylosis of the lumbar spine has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating based on PTSD is moot due to the assignment of a 100% schedular rating. The claims for TDIU and SMC are remanded as further development is needed.

The appeal to reconsider the claims of service connection for tendonitis of the right hip, bilateral ankles, right wrist, and thumbs is granted.,The appeal to reconsider the claim of service connection for headaches is granted.,The appeal to reconsider the claim of service connection for chest pain (claimed as chest pain and hypertension) is granted.,The appeal to reconsider the claim of service connection for frequent urination (claimed as an enlarged prostate) is granted.,The appeal to reconsider the claim of service connection for sleep apnea is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle conditions, as well as right and left hip conditions due to further development being required.

The Board has granted initial ratings of 20 percent for right and left ankle disabilities, effective June 14, 2018.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of cold injuries to the ankles, feet, hands, shoulders, and neck has been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability attributable to in-service cold injury.,The Veteran's PTSD with secondary alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder (PTSD) has been rated at 50 percent, but his claim for an increased rating remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is also found to be related to service.,Service connection was denied for a sleep disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and left ankle disabilities due to incomplete information in the medical records, including a lack of his military personnel file. The claim will be reconsidered with new examinations.