Ankle decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examinations and further review is required.

Service connection for various conditions including bilateral shins, left ankle, left arm and elbow, lower back pain, neck pain cervical spine, rhinitis, right ankle, right arm and elbow, right hand, right hip, right shoulder scar, right wrist, sinusitis, sleep apnea, vertigo has been denied.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle osteoarthritis, left ankle disorder, right knee condition, and neck condition due to lack of evidence showing a chronic disability in service or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues has been remanded due to procedural errors and the need for additional evidence, including medical opinions related to potential toxic exposure claims under the PACT Act.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

Your appeal to the right ankle condition has been dismissed as it is not eligible for consideration.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is granted service connection.,The left ankle condition is denied as not related to military service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including allergies, right ankle disorder, left elbow disorder, right hand disorder, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder are all denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a rating in excess of 10 percent for his tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for thoraco-lumbar myositis with IVDS, left ankle impingement, OSA, cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle disorder has also been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of the left upper extremity, hand, foot and mouth disease, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial disability rating of major depressive disorder from April 7, 2015 have been granted. The Veteran is now rated at 100% for major depressive disorder as of that date.

The Veteran's claim for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on need for aid and attendance is denied because his service-connected disabilities do not render him in need of regular aid and assistance. The Board also denied SMC at the housebound rate as he does not have a single disability rated as 100 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions, tinnitus, and hearing loss due to potential errors in the previous VA examinations. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, Barrett's Esophagus, left knee, and right hip disabilities due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The VA examinations are needed to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, right elbow fractures, forehead scar, and other conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since November 15, 2022. His TDIU claim is granted effective from that date.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, GERD, IBS, rhinitis, sinusitis, dry skin/scars, a bilateral breast condition, pulled groin, vaginitis, irregular menstruation, cervical spine condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, lower extremity nerve damage, ankle strain or Achilles conditions, and foot plantar fasciitis. The effective date for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder is denied prior to December 1, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability, right ankle disability, deviated nasal septum, nerve disability (tingling and numbness) secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss disability, left knee disability, abdominal scar, and skin cancer.,The Board also remanded claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and prostate cancer.

The Board denied the appeal because the March 2021 VA Form 20-0996 (HLR Request) was untimely and invalid regarding the March 2019 AMA rating decision, December 2018 legacy rating decision, and November 2016 legacy rating decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for his bilateral knee osteoarthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, and left ankle strain. The criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent have not been met for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus and low back disability are related to service, but his right ankle condition is not. The case is being remanded for further development.,Service connection for a low back disability is being remanded due to potential pre-service existence of the condition and possible aggravation by a service-connected right knee disability.