Ankle decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease, right ankle condition, and chronic bronchitis with asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate statement of reasons or bases and failure to provide clear definitions for terms used in the rating criteria. The Veteran's left ankle disability is being evaluated again as a result.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, knee, and ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee postoperative residuals and a rating in excess of 20 percent for left ankle residuals due to inconsistencies in the evidence regarding flare-ups and functional loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of secondary service connection claims. The Veteran's disability rating remains unchanged.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot osteoarthritis, right foot osteoarthritis, and left ankle degenerative arthritis have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on moderate symptoms of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that his current condition is related to his time in service and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of increased ratings for low back disability, right ankle disability, and psychiatric disability due to additional VA medical records being added to the claims file.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and denied service connection for right shoulder, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle disability, specifically whether it is related to military service or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include evaluating his bilateral pes planus, determining if a right ankle condition is secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus, assessing whether a bilateral shoulder condition is related to service or service-connected conditions, and examining if a lumbar spine condition is linked to service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of a left ankle disability and denied the petition to reopen the claim for service connection of a cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal as to the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn. Service connection is granted for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, with the cause being service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right ankle condition, including his in-service injury and post-service symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle, left foot, right foot disabilities and hypertension as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle and pes planus disabilities due to incomplete medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are alleged to be related to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right eye disability, bilateral foot condition, back disability, right ankle and knee disabilities, bronchitis, and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The reasons given were lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability has been reopened, but the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain remains remanded. The Veteran's claims for service connection for his claimed right ankle and left shoulder disabilities are also remanded.,VA is required to obtain updated VA treatment records and any private treatment records identified by the Veteran. A VA examination must be scheduled to evaluate the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's lumbar spine, left knee, and left ankle/foot disabilities and her active service.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected left ankle disability, currently rated at 20 percent. The Board has granted a 30 percent rating under DC 5270.,The Veteran's mental health condition and skin disability are also being remanded as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability.,A new VA examination is needed for all issues.