Ankle decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and SMC based on aid and attendance/housebound due to insufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran's current foot conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, left knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's headaches were granted as secondary to service-connected sleep apnea.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's ankle disabilities or carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment for the specified periods, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's right ankle strain due to degenerative changes with calcaneal spur is now rated at 20 percent effective September 2, 2021. His left knee osteoarthritis with instability has been granted a separate 10 percent rating from September 2, 2021.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to various service-connected conditions, including a higher rating for posterior fossa tumor ependymoma and left wrist neuropathy, as well as claims for earlier effective dates. The AOJ has remanded several of these issues due to procedural errors.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated as 20 percent disabling, which is the maximum schedular rating permitted for limited motion of the ankle. The Veteran also has a noncompensable rating for his right ankle neuritis. His request for a compensable rating for surgical scars was denied. The Board found that further development is needed for the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability necessitates the need for aid and attendance, thus SMC based on this condition is granted. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for housebound status due to his TDIU.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, right knee, and right ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for various conditions and hypertension. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed to determine if he currently has these conditions or if they are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with previous remand directives regarding the Veteran's left leg and ankle disabilities. As a result, these issues are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, which includes an arthrodesis and arthritis, is rated at 30 percent since February 24, 2022. The rating reflects the current functional limitations of the ankle.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle disabilities, coronary artery disease, and hypertension due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for depression and a right ankle disorder, reopening the claims based on new evidence submitted since the last denial in March 2005.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder and a right foot disorder, finding that the appellant did not have these conditions during his military service or within one year of separation. The evidence showed no chronicity of symptoms after service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle disability and left knee disability due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atypical chest pain and entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea. The remaining issues of entitlement to increased ratings for left ankle disability, painful scar of the left lateral malleolus, linear scar of the left lower extremity, and lumbar spine disability as well as service connection for headaches are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right knee impairment (instability) prior to September 21, 2015 is rated at 10 percent and not higher.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection for a low back disorder, left ankle disorder, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy/tremors, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy/tremors, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy/tremors is remanded due to outstanding medical records and further evaluation being necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and right knee disability have been shown to cause his radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, which is now granted. Additionally, his acquired psychiatric disorder has also been found to be caused by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, while his allergic rhinitis is granted a non-compensable rating prior to August 27, 2015 and a 10 percent rating thereafter. The Veteran's left ankle disability remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected right ankle sprain has been denied. The case is now remanded to consider increased ratings for the left knee lateral meniscal tear.