Ankle decisions — 2023

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of anxiety disorder, migraine disability, and left ankle disability, as well as his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure by the Regional Office to properly assist in developing his service connection claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and unit histories. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for left ankle disorder.

The Veteran's right hip bursitis, right knee patellofemoral arthritis, and left ankle DJD/arthritis are all secondary to his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with residuals of hemilaminectomy and diskectomy, lumbar spine with partial left foot drop. The Board has determined that remand is necessary for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's right hip bursitis, right knee patellofemoral arthritis, and left ankle DJD/arthritis.

The Veteran's Ramsay Hunt syndrome, left foot and ankle disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability were all denied. The Board found that the treatment provided by VA did not cause these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The issues of service connection for back disability and erectile dysfunction are moot due to prior adjudication. The appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied, as the Veteran's hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bladder cancer surgery resulted in additional disabilities, including left leg disability, left ankle disability, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The VA is required to review the informed consent documents for these surgeries as part of the remand process.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis. The claims for bilateral ankle condition and bilateral flat feet and plantar fasciitis are remanded due to procedural errors in the VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's hypercholesterolemia is not a disability for VA purposes, and there is no evidence of current hemorrhoids or bilateral shin splints.,Pending determinations on the right foot condition, gout, conjunctivitis of the right eye, facial injury, migraine headaches, left ankle condition, obstructive sleep apnea, and left knee condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ankle disability, finding that there is no persuasive evidence to support a link between her current condition and her military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate opinion in a previous VA examination, and additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's left ankle disability is related to service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's left knee and left ankle disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining addendum VA medical opinions and reviewing all relevant records.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ankle, left knee (limited flexion), left knee (painful extension and functional loss), left knee (slight instability), and lumbar disabilities due to insufficient opinions in the August 2021 VA examination reports. Additional examinations are needed to address the Veteran's disorders during the period on appeal.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.,The Veteran's right foot condition, left foot condition, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, right knee condition, and left knee condition are remanded due to insufficient rationale in the VA examination opinions.,The Veteran's sinusitis is found to be related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle osteoarthritis status post-surgical repair, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, including residuals of a fracture and surgical procedure, was initially rated as noncompensable prior to July 31, 2019. The Veteran is now entitled to an initial compensable evaluation.,The Veteran's GERD was initially rated as noncompensable prior to July 31, 2019. The Veteran is now entitled to an initial compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence being added to the file and the Veteran's request for initial AOJ consideration.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for uterine fibroids, sinusitis, neck disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, back disability, and bilateral foot disability (plantar fasciitis).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding her conditions.