Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and right-hand disabilities. The claims are now remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine if current disabilities exist and their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete information regarding his service stressors and other medical records. The Veteran will be provided another opportunity to provide authorization for additional treatment records, as well as requests for verification of alleged stressors.

The Board has granted secondary service connection for bilateral shin and ankle muscular soreness and limitation of motion, finding that these conditions are proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected right knee arthritis.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities, acquired psychiatric disorders including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's anxiety. The effective date issue remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities, as these conditions are alleged to be secondary to a service-connected lumbar strain. The VA will obtain new medical opinions addressing whether these disabilities were caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes and hypertension, finding that there is not substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The claims are to be reconsidered in light of new evidence or clarification.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, residuals of cold injury of hands and feet (right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot), sleep apnea, and hypertension due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions during or immediately following service. The cases are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a left foot disability, including the left ankle. The evidence shows that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury and pain.

The Veteran's right ankle disability and bilateral flatfoot disorder are currently rated at 10% each. The Board denied increased ratings for both conditions, finding that the evidence did not show marked limitation of motion or ankylosis.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for a left ankle disability due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay reports regarding his symptoms during each period of time. The VA will obtain private medical records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the severity of the left ankle disability for specific periods.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and outstanding medical records have not been properly addressed, and thus these matters are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left ankle chronic/recurrent lateral collateral ligament sprain is granted service connection, and a 20 percent disability rating for the right ankle disability with history of fracture. The claim to reopen as to this issue is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to determine if the Veteran's right ankle condition, left ankle condition, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are related to service-connected conditions or obesity.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disorder, left foot disorder, low back disorder, and skin disorder. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of hearing loss within one year of discharge and that the current hearing loss is not related to military service or service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The right ankle and hip/thigh conditions, as well as chronic sinusitis, are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that more development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed left ankle, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The claims are being remanded for further examination and consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for narcolepsy was granted, while claims for sleep apnea, bilateral ankle condition, back condition, and pericarditis were denied. The claim for bilateral foot condition (claimed as peripheral neuropathy) was also denied.,Service connection was not established for any of the conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to service.

The Board has determined that the VA examination reports are insufficient to adjudicate the claim and ordered a new VA examination. The Veteran's left ankle range of motion during flare-ups is being evaluated for ankylosis.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for a right ankle strain is remanded due to the need for additional examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there are issues with exposure basis and noise exposure during military service.