Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings higher than 10 percent each for right and left knee strain require additional medical examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip, ankle, hand, knee and shoulder disabilities. However, due to insufficient evidence regarding current diagnoses and continuity of symptoms since service, these issues are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for joint pain of the ankles, knees, lower legs, shoulders, arms, and wrists due to his failure to report for a necessary examination without good cause. The available evidence did not support a conclusion that these conditions were incurred in or related to active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination regarding his service-connected right ankle scar and its instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete STRs and unclear scope of his hip, skin, genitourinary, and ankle disability claims. The Veteran is required to clarify his claims and VA will obtain additional STRs.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left foot and bilateral hip disorders, as they are secondary to service-connected right ankle sprain and/or right foot strain. The appeal is currently pending.

The Board denied service connection for hip disorder and bilateral ankle disorder. The low back disorder claim is remanded.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's claimed hip, ankle, or low back disorders.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left ankle disability, and bilateral knee disabilities. The decision also mentions that further development is needed due to potential toxic exposure from the Veteran's MOS duties.

The Veteran's representative withdrew all pending disability compensation claims and appeals, including those related to various conditions such as posterior fossa tumor ependymoma, left wrist neuropathy, cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, depressive disorder (combined with neurocognitive disorder), light-headedness, dizziness and/or vertigo, headaches, ankle sprains, scars of the head, cognitive disorder, voiding dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. The appeal is dismissed as a result.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities due to inadequate VA opinions and missing records. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected right foot plantar wart and other claimed conditions.

The Veteran's left ankle injury, including Achilles tendonitis and osteoarthritis, is granted service connection. The Veteran's bilateral foot conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion. His hearing loss is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current degree of impairment. Service connection for bronchitis is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's L4-5 lumbar spine condition is aggravated by his service-connected L2 compression fracture and other disabilities.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability was denied. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left knee, and right knee disabilities were also denied. The issues regarding effective dates for left ankle sprains and tympanic membrane tympanosclerosis (right and left) were dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the issues of service connection for right ankle disability and partial thyroidectomy/hypothyroidism are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,Service connection is sought for a right ankle disability and hypothyroidism. The Veteran's in-service injury and symptoms have not been adequately addressed by the VA examiners.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ankle sprain as they were already denied in a previous May 2023 decision.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left ankle degenerative arthritis with strain, as well as DJD of the knees, are being remanded for further evaluation due to recent worsening reported by the Veteran. Additionally, a claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that it had its onset in service and is a recurrent condition since then.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine and left ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. A new VA examination is needed to reconcile findings with private medical records.

The appeals of the denials of service connection for hypertension, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are dismissed. Service connection for chronic kidney disease is granted.