Ankle decisions — 2023

The claim to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for a right ankle disability is denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine (a back disability) is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis, including any related hallux valgus, pes cavus, and ankle limitations.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral ankle disability, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for right knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's lay statements will be considered along with her in-service complaints.

The Board has granted effective dates of November 15, 2016 for the awards of a 10% disability rating for bilateral hallux valgus. The issues of increased ratings for other conditions are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep disability, including sleep apnea, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability. The decision is binding only with respect to these specific matters.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of left and right ankle disabilities, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current disability and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for psychiatric disorders, lumbar spine disability, left arm disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability due to lack of evidence supporting a diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence linking the disabilities to service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for lower back disability, ankle disabilities, knee disabilities, and wrist disabilities. The reasons for remand include the need for additional medical opinions due to insufficient nexus opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various joint disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further evaluation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities due to a lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has found that there is not substantial compliance with the previous remand directives regarding the claims for service connection for lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities. The appeal for right side numbness, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities are all being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is being remanded for further development. The increased rating claim for bilateral pes planus has been granted, but the service connection claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and lack of continuity of care documentation. The Veteran's right ankle disability is being reviewed again for proper service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected back, neck, right ankle, left ankle, right foot, and left foot disabilities require additional examinations to comply with VA examination requirements. The cases are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disability, sleep disability (including insomnia and OSA), left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and cervical spine disability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and ankle disabilities, as well as psoriasis due to lack of STRs and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a left ankle disability due to missing separation medical records. The case will be returned to VA to attempt to obtain these records.

The Board has received additional VA treatment records and requests a waiver for these records to be reviewed by the AOJ. The claims are being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right thumb, right knee, left knee, and right ankle disabilities.