Ankle decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and need for further examinations.

The Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities meet the criteria for these benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle, hip, and knee conditions were denied due to his failure to report for VA examinations scheduled in conjunction with his supplemental claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a pre-decisional error regarding his periods of active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty for training with the South Carolina Army National Guard. The Board requests verification from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) or the appropriate service entity.

The Board denied service connection for left foot, right foot, and right ankle conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and her right ankle disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The appeal for a higher rating for the right knee disability was denied.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus.,Service connection is denied for headache disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability. Service connection is also denied for bilateral foot disability.

The Veteran's claims for leukocytosis, right foot plantar fasciitis, and a right ankle disability are denied. The Veteran's seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, left and right wrist rheumatoid arthritis with osteopenia, left and right knee strain with rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia are granted as related to in-service bacterial food poisoning. Service connection for hair loss is also granted secondary to service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of 10 percent or more for left ankle strain has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's tinnitus and voiding dysfunction were denied as not related to her military service. The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus, hysterectomy, left ankle condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorder (phobias), and rhinitis need further examination and opinion.,The Veteran was provided with a remand for additional examinations and opinions to address her claims of tinnitus, voiding dysfunction, bilateral pes planus, hysterectomy, left ankle condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorder (phobias), and rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the cases for further evaluation due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's ankle sprain conditions.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 3, 1968 for a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left ankle disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various musculoskeletal disabilities are being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration.,Service connection is denied for right ear hearing loss, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right ankle disabilities, as well as whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for left knee and lumbar spine conditions. The VA is required to obtain relevant medical records and ensure that adequate opinions are provided regarding these issues.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection, as well as an earlier effective date for DEA benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to her service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded both service connection claims due to the need for additional medical opinions and evidence. The Veteran's peptic ulcer disease claim is remanded because of a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding new and relevant evidence, as well as the need for an opinion on whether the condition clearly and unmistakably preexisted service. The right ankle condition claim is also remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in obtaining potentially relevant treatment records.

The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the prior decision and remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for his left shoulder and left ankle disabilities were denied. The left shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating allowed under Diagnostic Code 5201. The left ankle disability is also rated at 20 percent, as it already has the highest schedular rating.