Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's recurrent right shoulder, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The claims for service connection are not granted as there is no evidence that these conditions originated during active service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are being reviewed again.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, sciatica of the right lower extremity as secondary to a low back disability, and sinusitis. Service connection for a right ankle disability is being remanded.,Service connection is granted for a low back disability, sciatica of the right lower extremity, and sinusitis. The right ankle disability issue remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right ankle disability and for TDIU due to functional loss and lack of employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The appellant needs to be provided with notice tailored to her claim and a VA medical opinion is required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the inability to provide him with VA examinations in Europe. The issues include eye disorders, chronic tiredness, ankle and elbow disorders, facial twitching, neck disorder, knee instability and pain/clicking related to his major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's left foot condition, diagnosed as plantar fasciitis with callosities, is rated at 20 percent. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on the current evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a new VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's right ankle disability, including as secondary to his service-connected plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted as it was aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. Other issues are pending further development and evidence submission.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of PTSD, right ankle disability, and migraine headaches have precluded him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and chronic metatarsalgia, but the issues of service connection for bilateral pes planus and a left ankle impairment are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle sprain, headaches, and sleep disorder due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) was remanded.,The Board also remanded the issues regarding evaluations for residuals of thyroglossal duct cyst and disfiguring neck scar.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that there is at least an equipoise of evidence to support a finding that his current condition had its onset in service following his combat injury. The decision also acknowledges the Veteran's credible statements and in-service treatment records as well as post-service medical reports.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of right ankle, foot, and left foot disabilities due to their secondary nature to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of left ankle sprain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ankle fracture distal tibia and remanded his claims for initial compensable ratings for nephrolithiasis/kidney stones, degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine, bicipital tendon tear, right, and right knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's left knee condition is granted a disability rating of 20 percent for limitation of flexion, effective October 21, 2016. The appeal regarding the left ankle condition was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 20 percent, and he is granted a TDIU prior to February 11, 2021.,A TDIU from February 11, 2021 onward is dismissed as moot due to the Veteran's receipt of a 100 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as his increased ratings for tarsal tunnel syndrome of the right foot and digital nerve laceration of the right index finger are denied.,A compensable rating is also denied for a deltoid ligament sprain of the right ankle.

The Veteran's appeals of the ratings assigned for his service-connected lumbar spine and left ankle disabilities, as well as associated neurological impairment, have been granted with effective dates of February 1, 2015. The Veteran's appeal of the initial rating assigned for his GERD with small intestine blockage and hiatal hernia has also been granted.