Ankle decisions — 2022

The Veteran's right ankle disability, left knee instability, and right knee instability have been granted increased ratings. Service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD has also been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for hip disability, right ankle disability, and muscle weakness to obtain additional medical opinions considering the Veteran's post-polio syndrome.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are all granted. The Veteran is awarded a 40% rating for his lumbar strain for the entire appeal period.

The Board has withdrawn the appeals for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and shin pain. The appeal for service connection of sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate opinions in the November 2018 VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, bilateral lower extremity neuropathies (left and right), and denied service connection for a left ankle disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any right knee, right ankle, left ankle, or right foot disorder.,Service connection for these conditions is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the medical opinions are against finding a link to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's residuals of left shoulder impingement syndrome and residuals of a left ankle sprain, finding that there is continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, left hip, and left posterior tibial tendon dysfunction disabilities have been restored to their respective ratings of 20%, 10%, and 10% effective July 1, 2016.,Service connection for left metatarsalgia has been reopened based on new evidence showing it is proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected left posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back pain and ankle injuries, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the entire appeal period.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, bilateral hip, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's right foot and ankle disabilities have been granted a 30 percent disability rating from March 11, 2015, to January 30, 2019, and from May 1, 2019. The higher ratings for these conditions are denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for left and right ankle injuries due to inadequate examination opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, diagnosed as a lumbosacral strain. The claims for right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection and increased rating claims for various hand, knee, ankle, and tinnitus conditions is being remanded due to procedural issues under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (AMA).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination regarding his dental disorder, left ankle disorder, lumbar spine disorders, cervical spine disorders, inguinal hernia, cauda equina syndrome, shoulder disorders, radiculopathy, neurogenic bladder, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 30 percent effective October 9, 2017. The Board also granted service connection for foot, knee, hip, and low back disabilities as secondary to the right ankle disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea, right ankle disorder, IBS, and hypertension have been granted. The claim for cervical radiculitis was denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right ankle and right shoulder condition due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran contends his conditions are related to wear and tear from carrying equipment as an artilleryman during service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and PFB have been denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA definition of a hearing loss disability.,For his right shoulder, knee, ankle, and foot disorders, unspecified circulation disorder, and scalp disorder (previously claimed as alopecia), the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle shrapnel muscle injury and TDIU has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a moderately-severe disability, and his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.