Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral foot and ankle disabilities, as secondary to service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran's current conditions include small fiber neuropathy of both feet, tarsometatarsal joint arthritis (Arthritis TMTJ) of both feet, right foot metatarsalgia, right foot hallux valgus, right foot degenerative joint disease, and bilateral ankle joint sprain.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and adjudication due to inadequate opinions from a VA examiner regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current disabilities and service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, a bilateral ankle condition, a back condition (including sciatica and low back pain), obstructive sleep apnea, and bilateral cataracts secondary to diabetes mellitus.,Service connection was not granted for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's right ankle condition has been rated at 40 percent since January 20, 2012. A TDIU rating was granted on an extraschedular basis for the period from January 20, 2012 to November 18, 2019 and again from March 1, 2020. The Veteran's right ankle condition has also been rated at 100 percent temporarily from November 19, 2019 to February 29, 2020 due to unemployability caused by the disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition, left and right ankle conditions, bilateral pes planus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for his left and right knee conditions has been remanded.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for left shoulder and right knee disabilities have been granted. The claim for a left arm disability is denied, and the claims for right knee and left ankle disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied, and the Board has remanded the service connection claim for a bilateral ankle disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding increased ratings for chest surgery scars and hypertension, as well as service connection claims for right and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's request for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right hip piriformis syndrome and a higher rating for her right foot peroneal tendonitis prior to October 8, 2019, is denied. A 10 percent rating is granted for the right ankle peroneal tendonitis from October 8, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities to include Achilles tendinitis, as well as recurrent sleep disability (obstructive sleep apnea). The appeal regarding the recurrent sleep disability is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and remanded the issue of rating higher than 10 percent for the service-connected right knee patellofemoral syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation during the period from February 1, 2007 to February 22, 2010. Therefore, a TDIU rating on an extraschedular basis is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a separate rating for right knee instability and increased ratings for bilateral ankle tendinitis and bilateral knee disabilities. The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 30 percent, with the left knee disability also receiving a 30 percent rating effective from February 22, 2015.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for dystonia, left lower extremity, flexion of the left ankle/foot and dystonia, right upper extremity (right hand injury and flexion of the right wrist/finger).

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disorder and remanded the issue of secondary service connection for a left ankle disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist strain, left wrist impairment, and right ankle impairment. These conditions are deemed to have started during the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for alcoholism was dismissed. The Board also remanded several other issues, including PTSD with depressive disorder, surgical scars of the right ankle, status post fracture of right ankle with ORIF, tendonitis of the left knee, actinic keratosis, and sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis. The claims for right knee osteoarthritis and right ankle condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims, and the current diagnoses are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include psychiatric disability, right knee disability, and right ankle disability.