Ankle decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his musculoskeletal disabilities due to incomplete records. The Veteran is required to provide information about any private healthcare providers who have treated him.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various tibia and ankle disabilities, as well as a left foot disability. The VA will need to obtain new medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeal for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for depression and anxiety disorders, PTSD with depression and anxiety, low back disorder, neck/cervical spine disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction. The decision on these issues is based on their merits.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current foot conditions are related to in-service cold injuries. The VA must obtain a supplemental medical opinion addressing these issues.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the Board finds that his conditions do not warrant higher ratings for PTSD, lumbar spine DDD, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, knee DJD, shoulder DJD, ankle DJD, elbow tendonitis, or foot plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, bowel and bladder dysfunction, hip impairments, ankle strains, flat feet, knee limitations of flexion, shoulder disability, elbow bursitis/limitation of flexion, and tension headaches have been granted. The Veteran also received increased ratings for his right hip impairment and limitation of extension as well as a 60 percent rating for his lumbar spine disability effective November 13, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of marked limited motion in any ankle or knee, and thus no higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes could be granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding records and need for medical examinations. The issues include right knee, right ankle, left ankle disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and reopened the claims for left hip pain and left ankle pain. The claim for right shoulder pain was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's right foot sprain, subpatellar chondromalacia of the knees, and right ankle sprain are being remanded for additional development to determine their current severity.

The Veteran's initial rating for his left ankle disability prior to October 29, 2020 was granted at a 10 percent level. The appeal for an increased rating beyond this level is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and separate compensable ratings for his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities, finding that the schedular criteria adequately describe his disability picture. The case is remanded for further development regarding TDIU.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for urethral stricture and remanded the issues of service connection for left ankle disability and residuals of tonsillitis. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right ankle and right upper extremity conditions due to insufficient examination reports, lack of service treatment records, and need for updated VA medical records. The Veteran is also asked to provide any non-VA medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle strain and remanded the issues of service connection for right hand disability, right second finger disability, and left hand and finger disability. The Veteran's claim is being returned to the RO for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for vitiligo and bilateral ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not incurred during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disorder, characterized as a right ankle bimalleolar fracture. The issues of entitlement to a temporary total disability rating for right ankle surgery and TDIU are remanded due to the change in the Veteran's disability picture.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left and right ankle disabilities, left and right knee disabilities, and bilateral pes planus due to inadequate opinions provided by VA examiners. The examiners were instructed to consider the Veteran's lay statements and complaints but failed to do so.

The Veteran's right and left knee disorders, as well as his left ankle disorder, have been granted increased ratings. The right knee has been rated at 20% since July 18, 2008, for moderate lateral instability with pain during noncompensable motion loss. The left knee has also been rated at 20%, and the left ankle has been rated at 10%. These decisions are effective as of July 18, 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an in-service injury and that any current condition is not related to service.