Ankle decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right ankle disabilities is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The claims for increased ratings of his right knee disability are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and degenerative joint diseases of various joints, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted the TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has remanded the claims for an earlier effective date due to concerns about the completeness of the record and the need for further development.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, left ear disability, back pain, neck pain, left arm disability, right arm disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability. The issues have been remanded due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle conditions due to inadequate reasoning in a prior VA examination and lack of substantial compliance with its previous directives.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran's right knee and right ankle disabilities are being reviewed again to determine their severity throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tenosynovitis, left ankle and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The effective date of the award of service connection for tenosynovitis, left ankle was fixed at August 21, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for right ankle strain and TDIU prior to specific dates have been remanded due to the RO failing to address these issues in their previous SSOC.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disorder of actinic keratosis, but denied service connection for a right ankle disorder due to the lack of current evidence of an orthopedic disability.

The Veteran's appeal for hearing loss and right ankle disability was dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The right ankle disability claim has been granted, but as it is a complete grant, it is no longer before the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle, left elbow, and bilateral hand conditions due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA is required to obtain a new opinion from an appropriate examiner.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for gout including gouty arthritis, right knee disability, left wrist disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral flatfoot disability, and heart disability. The Board found that there is no medical evidence or opinion linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's right ankle condition, which included a surgical repair of a ruptured talofibular ligament, resulted in functional loss causing weakened movement. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral ankle/foot conditions, finding that they were aggravated by service.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been granted a 60 percent rating each, effective November 21, 2022.,Service connection for the left ankle disability has also been granted. The right eye injury and injury to the right side of the face were denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for several issues, including those related to right knee and ankle osteoarthritis, shoulder osteoarthritis with impingement, diabetes mellitus, unspecified depressive disorder, rheumatoid arthritis of the left knee, and rheumatoid arthritis of the right knee.,The Board also remanded two issues: entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for total right knee replacement from April 1, 2017, and service connection for a right hip disorder.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, lumbar spine disorder, right ankle disorder, and tinnitus are all granted service connection.,Service connection for the left knee disability and bilateral high frequency hearing loss was initially granted in March 1997 with an effective date of December 30, 1996. The Veteran's appeal to increase these effective dates is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and left foot disability, to include Morton's neuroma due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to determine if the Veteran's current right and left ankle conditions are related to his service, including any in-service injuries. The tinea manuum case is also being remanded for a VA examination to assess its current severity.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial compensable rating for a right knee disability, service connection for hypertension, and service connection for a right ankle disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral foot disability (pes planus), and cervical spine disability due to inadequate examinations.