Ankle decisions — 2023

The Veteran's left ankle disability, including a bone spur, is denied as his claim was not supported by evidence and he failed to attend the scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's right ankle fracture with osteoarthritis and left ankle arthritis are granted increased disability ratings, while the left knee degenerative arthritis postoperative residuals remain denied.

The Board has denied increased ratings for headaches, herniated discs of the lumbar spine, status-post fracture of right ankle, and scar of right ankle as a matter of law due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The mood disorder claim is remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of residuals of a stroke, arthritis of the hands and fingers (to include rheumatoid arthritis), left ankle disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder have been remanded due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require the regular aid and attendance of another person as he is unable to perform daily activities independently due to his physical impairments.

The Veteran's bilateral foot and left ankle disabilities were denied increased ratings. The case was remanded for further action on the issue of service connection for a back injury.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, right hip, left hip, and kidney disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left ankle disabilities due to lack of etiology opinions in his VA examination.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, type II (DM), a heart disorder (IHD, CHF, and CAD), right leg ulcers, left leg ulcers, bilateral hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity.,Service connection is denied for a left ankle disorder, a right ankle disorder, and a left hand disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims regarding gastroesophageal reflux disease, right arm ulnar sensory neuropathy, and right ankle sprain with instability and degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's claims are being remanded to allow for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment as of March 25, 2015. The Board granted a TDIU rating effective from that date.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders, as well as an eye disorder. The initial ratings for foot disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for left foot pes planus, right foot pes planus, a left ankle disorder, and a right ankle disorder due to new evidence. The Veteran's other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple joint disabilities, including left shoulder, right elbow, right wrist, cervical spine, low back, and left ankle disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and complete a TERA Memorandum. Additional VA clinical records are also needed. A Gulf War examination should be conducted, and the Veteran should undergo multiple VA examinations for each of his claimed conditions to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically generalized anxiety disorder, is granted. The claims for fatigue and skin condition are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions considering toxic exposure risk activities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the right ankle disability claim and the hearing loss disability claim is remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions regarding his lower back, right knee, left calf, and left ankle conditions. The issues are related to service connection for these conditions as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's tension/reoccurring headaches are found to be related to an in-service head injury.,The Veteran's right knee disorder with arthroplasty and total knee replacement is found to be related to a service-connected right knee disorder.,The Veteran's left knee degenerative osteoarthritis is found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder.,The Veteran's right ankle instability is found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder.,The Veteran's left ankle instability is found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between any of these conditions and active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for compensable ratings and service connection due to new evidence being submitted after the last decision. The RO will review this evidence and issue a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.