Ankle decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for tinnitus has been denied as the condition is not shown to have been so exceptional or unusual as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for gouty arthritis of his knees, ankles, and feet are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability due to incomplete examination reports and lack of consideration of credible lay evidence.

The Veteran's left foot and ankle disabilities are found to be related to service, with the current evidence in equipoise.,Service connection is granted for a left foot disability (including osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and degenerative changes affecting the left great toe) and a left ankle disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The right ankle, left ankle, and left knee scars are not rated higher than the current 10 percent due to their non-painful and stable nature.,Tonsillitis is currently assigned a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum allowed under Diagnostic Code 6599-6516. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not warrant additional ratings.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of migraines, rhinitis, left leg calf muscle disability, increased rating for left shoulder disability, and earlier effective dates were dismissed. The Veteran was granted service connection for genital warts with penile pain, left ankle sprain, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability, finding that there is no positive medical nexus to support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, posterior tibial dysfunction of the left foot, right ankle injury, and left ankle injury are all found to be related to his active military service.,Reasoning: The Board determined that resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, his disabilities are at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection and SMC were dismissed as they did not meet the procedural requirements under the modernized review system (AMA).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining the Veteran's complete service records and providing an adequate medical opinion regarding his left ankle disability. The Veteran will need to provide more information about his periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if his left ankle disability is related to his military service.

The appeal of the right ankle tendinopathy was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,An effective date of October 22, 2011, for the 40 percent evaluation of lumbar spondylosis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is granted.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various ankle and knee conditions, as well as a shoulder strain post rotator cuff tear and lumbosacral strain. The Veteran requested withdrawal of the appeal in October 2023.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. The claims for other musculoskeletal disabilities are remanded.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's back and left ankle disabilities are caused or aggravated by her service-connected knee/shin disabilities. The Veteran's lay assertions will be considered in this decision.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability, right ear hearing loss, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability are granted. The claims for hypertension and coronary artery disease are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete findings related to ankylosis and conflicting examination results. Further development is needed to address whether ankle cysts, tendinopathy, and swelling result in additional impairment not captured by current rating criteria.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, sinus disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, bowel disorder, headaches, enlarged prostate disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The claim for service connection for a skin disability has been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and scheduling issues.

The Veteran's initial and subsequent ratings for his left ankle disability have been denied.,Service connection for a right knee and low back disabilities is remanded, as are issues related to TDIU.

The Board has found that additional relevant evidence has been added to the claims file and has remanded the case for readjudication by the RO.

The Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal conditions have been granted based on chronic wear and tear in service.,Bilateral hearing loss was not established for VA purposes.