Ankle decisions — 2022

Service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted under the PACT Act. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for a left knee disability, right ankle disability, and back disability due to inadequate VA examination opinions. Further development is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right foot, left foot, left ankle, and left knee disabilities. The decision also noted that erectile dysfunction was not shown to be related to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed before these claims can be decided.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA examinations and outstanding relevant records, including private treatment records from a private orthopedic clinic. The goal is to rate the severity of his left ankle disability under both old and current rating criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD and right ankle disability have been granted increased evaluations, with the PTSD receiving a 70% evaluation effective May 27, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine condition, bilateral foot condition, right ankle skin condition, and knee conditions are being remanded for further development.,No specific exposure basis was provided in the decision summary.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder strain is denied as the evidence does not show that his range of motion is limited to 25 degrees from the side.,Service connection for voiding dysfunction is remanded due to missing VA examination records.

The Veteran's hypertension and generalized anxiety disorder are granted service connection based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange. His right hip joint replacement is granted a rating of 70 percent, which is the maximum allowed under VA regulations.

The Veteran's right ankle sprain disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating for limited motion of the ankle.,The Veteran's surgical scars of the right shoulder are not compensable as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for chronic bronchitis, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and left ankle disability due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran will be provided a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased ratings has been resolved. The right wrist disability was dismissed, the left elbow disability was denied, and the right ankle and neck disabilities were granted with specific rating criteria. The left ankle and right ankle scar disabilities remain denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for neck, back, and left ankle disabilities due to inadequate development in previous examinations.

The Veteran's left ankle achilles tendonitis with scar is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The lumbar spine degenerative disc disease prior to July 14, 2022, was also rated at 20 percent, but the Board denied an increased rating thereafter.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disability, but has remanded the issue of service connection for arthritis of bilateral hands due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back disability, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete records. The tinnitus claim is granted with an effective date of December 2, 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder and left ankle disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions in the current file. The Veteran's STRs are incomplete, and a new examination is needed to determine if his disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has been manifested by marked limited motion due to pain, weakness, fatigue, and swelling for the entire period on appeal. The Board granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for his service-connected status post fracture of the right ankle.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle disability and heart disability (mitral valve prolapse), finding no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury that is related to service.