Ankle decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for right and left foot gout, right wrist gout, and right and left ankle gout. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are consistent with his service records and medical opinions supporting their onset during service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, finding no current diagnosis of an ankle disability. The bladder issue is remanded due to missing Vet Center records.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of a left ankle disorder due to an error in docketing under the AMA system, as the Veteran had already appealed under the Legacy framework.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the Veteran's right leg and/or broken ankle injury following his June 2017 spine epidural. The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for these injuries.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU rating prior to September 22, 2009. The Board finds that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran is unemployable solely by reason of his service-connected disabilities and thus, entitlement to a TDIU rating on an extraschedular basis has been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left tibial stress fracture and right tibial stress fracture with ankle strain, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical records and military personnel verification.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran is also entitled to a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine condition and must undergo further examination regarding his right ankle condition.

The Board has remanded four issues: increased ratings for left knee and right ankle disorders, service connection for sleep apnea, and a TDIU claim. The reasons include inadequate examinations and the need for addendum opinions on PTSD's impact on sleep apnea.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, ankle, shoulder, and back disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a medical opinion and an incomplete review of the service department records. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities need to be evaluated in relation to his discharge.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and right ankle disorder have been granted.,Both conditions were previously denied in the November 1997 Rating Decision, but new evidence received since then has established that these conditions are related to active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed left shoulder strain and impingement syndrome, cervical strain with myositis, lumbar strain with myositis, bilateral iliopsoas tendinitis of the hips, bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome of the knees, right ankle tendinitis, chronic left ankle sprain, and bilateral lateral epicondylitis of the elbows.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on multiple service-connected conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals prior to a decision being made.

The Board has found the March 2021 decision inadequate and remanded for an updated medical review to determine if the Veteran requires personal care services each time he completes one or more activities of daily living, including dressing, bathing, and toileting. The decision also notes that the Veteran may require regular supervision, protection, or instruction to keep himself safe.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder disorder and left ankle disorder have been granted.,Service connection has also been denied for the remaining issues: bilateral eyesight loss, bilateral hearing loss, burn scar on the left side of the neck, and a back disorder.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent from January 23, 2019. The right knee instability is granted an initial rating of 10 percent effective December 8, 2015. The right ankle disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. Bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis remains at 10 percent prior to November 30, 2020 and thereafter in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's left knee disability and right ankle disability are being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine the current severity of these conditions, as well as their etiology. The examiner is asked to consider whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for headache disability, right ankle sprain and residuals of fibula fracture, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and major depressive disorder have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric testing did not support such a rating.,A 20 percent rating for right ankle disability from March 12, 2012 to October 26, 2020 was granted based on marked limitation of motion. The claim for a compensable rating after October 27, 2020 was denied as the evidence did not show any 'marked' limitation of motion.,A compensable rating for right ankle disability from October 27, 2020 was denied due to lack of 'marked' limitation of motion.