Ankle decisions — 2023

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's petitions to reopen the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle and right ankle have also been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lower back, bilateral leg, and bilateral ankle disorders due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle strain and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset in service.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right ankle conditions have not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has dismissed all claims as the Veteran withdrew their appeal by requesting a Higher-Level Review and opting all claims from the April 10, 2020 decision into the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and traumatic amputation of the left arm, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's use of Clindamycin Phosphate caused irreparable damage to his clothing, resulting in a granted clothing allowance for the year 2020. The denial of a clothing allowance for left and right ankle braces is due to their not causing damage to eligible clothing.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right ankle disability, which was previously rated at 10 percent and later combined into a single rating of 10 percent effective February 1, 2018, is denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of marked limitation of motion in any time period.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right ankle fusion is related to her service-connected brain stem vascular malformation and remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle subtalar joint arthritis and has remanded the issue of service connection for recurrent endocrine disability manifested by hypogonadism (low testosterone). The Veteran's low testosterone is not a recognized disability for VA purposes, but further examination is needed to determine if it is related to his service-connected disabilities or toxic exposure risk activities.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected bipolar disorder and tinnitus.,The claim for left knee strain was reopened, and the Veteran's current condition is now considered secondary to his right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and service connection due to incomplete examinations and new evidence received.

The Veteran's claims for right hand and left hand nerve damage have been dismissed as service connection was granted. The appeal regarding PTSD, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee disorder, right-hand disorder, left-hand disorder, right-ankle disorder, and intestinal disorder (to include chronic diarrhea) is remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied. Claims for increased ratings of various hip and knee disorders, as well as left leg shin splints, were also denied.

The appeal of the claim for PTSD and increased rating for tinnitus are dismissed.,The appeals for reinstatement of left metatarsal and knee disabilities ratings, as well as entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and a left ankle disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, residuals of right and left ankle sprains, and patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right and left knee due to insufficient medical evidence on file.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims of service connection for various conditions, including back condition, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, right ankle condition, ganglion cyst, GI condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeals are granted to this extent.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's coccygeal sprain and ankle strains. The claims for left epididymitis have been denied as new and material evidence was not provided.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right and left ankle conditions, so the Board has dismissed these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sinus disability was reopened and granted. Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was also granted. The claims for left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities are remanded.