Ankle decisions — 2022

The Veteran's right ankle osteoarthritis is rated at 20 percent from March 28, 2013 to August 14, 2014 and from October 1, 2014 to January 12, 2016. A rating in excess of 20 percent for right ankle osteoarthritis on or after March 1, 2017 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to May 31, 2013 for right ankle disability and June 27, 2014 for tinnitus service connection as there was no pending claim before these dates.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and skin disability of the plantar surface of the right foot due to new evidence received since previous final decisions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and left ankle tendonitis were aggravated by his service-connected disorders.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his left hand disability, were denied higher initial ratings. The Veteran was granted a higher initial rating of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus.,The Veteran's left ankle disability was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to his failure to authorize VA to obtain private treatment records. The issues include left knee, right knee, left ankle, right ankle, lumbar spine, and right thumb disabilities.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective August 6, 2013. The appeal involves a higher initial rating for this condition.

The Veteran's right ankle disability and right lower extremity neurological disability are being remanded for further examination and opinion. The claim of service connection is reopened, but the Board finds that new evidence does not establish a nexus between these disabilities and service.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle condition, left shoulder condition, and neck condition as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries.,The VA examiners provided negative opinions regarding the nexus between current diagnoses of right ankle, left shoulder, and neck conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's right ankle condition was granted an initial rating of 10 percent, but no higher. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating based on marked limitation of motion. Service connection for his right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine conditions were remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for skeletal arthritis and bilateral hip disability, finding no persuasive evidence of these conditions during or related to the Veteran's military service.,The appeal was remanded on the issue of service connection for a bilateral foot condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for updated VA examinations to assess the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis and granted it, finding that new evidence received since the last denial shows a current diagnosis of osteoarthritis. However, the Board also found that there is no causal link between the Veteran's in-service injury and his current condition.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left ankle degenerative arthritis with residuals, status post joint fusion and ankylosis have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability due to inadequate examination and missing treatment records. The case is returned to the Board for further review, including an adequate VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives, specifically regarding obtaining an updated VA examination and a retrospective opinion addressing the severity of the Veteran's right ankle condition since May 2016.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, and intravertebral disc syndrome in the lumbar spine are service-connected.,Patellofemoral pain syndrome in the left knee is also service-connected.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective November 20, 2019. The case has been remanded due to inadequate development of the issue.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted. The remaining claims for bilateral hearing loss, mid/lower back disorder, right hand disorder, left ankle disorder, and left foot disorder are remanded for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, but denied the claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, left-hand, and left elbow disabilities.