Ankle decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability have been granted service connection.,Service connection for the Veteran's left lung disorder and left ankle disorder is remanded due to additional evidence needing consideration.

The Board denied entitlement to SMC based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to insufficient evidence showing that the Veteran required regular assistance from another person.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, chronic chest wall pain, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability are all found to be related to her period of active service.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, chronic chest wall pain, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability.

The Board has determined that there were pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle disabilities, as well as a lumbosacral strain disability. The AOJ is required to obtain any outstanding medical records from VA or private providers, specifically those related to the Veteran's bilateral ankle and lower back symptoms. An addendum examination report must be obtained by a medical professional addressing the continuity of the currently diagnosed conditions during service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10% based on moderate limited motion of the ankle.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 10% based on moderate limited motion of the ankle.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of December 5, 2006. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected headaches since September 12, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed right ankle disorder, finding that it was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service and arthritis did not manifest within one year of discharge.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right ankle and knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's claims are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection for a ruptured sinus, joint pain, and basal cell carcinoma. The initial rating claim for PTSD remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis but has remanded the issue of secondary service connection for a bilateral ankle condition.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, and right ankle disorders as well as sleep disorder due to lack of evidence showing onset or aggravation during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations, missing service treatment records, and outstanding private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for right thigh/leg condition, right ankle condition, and left knee/leg condition due to insufficient evidence in previous VA examinations. The Veteran's conditions are causing constant pain and discomfort.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of one or both feet, permanent vision impairment of both eyes, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip. Therefore, the Veteran is denied eligibility for financial assistance for an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience. Therefore, the claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete verification of his claimed periods of active duty and additional verified service records are needed. The AOJ must readjudicate the claims with consideration of all available evidence.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for COPD and increased ratings for lymphedema of the bilateral lower extremities and right ankle disability due to insufficient development or examination results.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of the neck, hips, knees, ankles or feet at any time during the pendency of his claims. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for right elbow joint pain, left elbow joint pain, right foot joint pain, left foot joint pain, back pain, right ankle joint pain, left ankle joint pain, right knee joint pain, left knee joint pain, and right shoulder joint pain. The Regional Office must obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development and examination.