Ankle decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, and right ankle condition due to a lack of service treatment records. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU beginning October 4, 2011. The claim for a TDIU prior to this date is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing (SAH) or special home adaptation (SHA), as he does not have a permanent and total disability that is due to loss of use of one or more extremities, blindness in both eyes with limited visual acuity, or full thickness burns resulting in contractures. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle strain with gastrocnemius equinus due to inadequate VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding whether service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated obesity, and if so, whether obesity was a substantial factor in causing OSA.

The Veteran's right ankle, right knee, left knee, and bilateral hip disabilities are all found to be related to his military service.,His acquired psychiatric disorder is also found to be related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for right ankle condition, left ankle condition, and left knee condition due to a lack of current diagnoses. The claims for musculoskeletal-neck/upper back (cervical spine), nerve paralysis, and degenerative arthritis of the back are remanded as there were no medical opinions provided regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in the May 2024 rating decision. The Veteran's left ankle osteoarthritis is being remanded for an examination that complies with Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle peripheral edema and bilateral knee scars due to a lack of a VA examination, which is necessary to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a foot condition, including hallux rigidus with joint pain of the big toe, and a left ankle condition are being remanded due to incomplete STRs and duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran was not provided adequate time to reschedule VA examinations prior to the issuance of the October 2022 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left ankle disability was dismissed as the claim had already been fully granted in an earlier rating decision.

The appeals for service connection for coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, and left ankle disabilities are denied. The appeal for right ankle disability is remanded due to new and relevant evidence being submitted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip, ankle, and knee pain conditions as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a current disability or link to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right ankle disorder is related to service and granted service connection. However, due to errors in the AOJ decisions, the left shoulder disorder issue must be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether service-connected disabilities caused obesity or aggravated it, and if obesity was a substantial factor in causing OSA.

The Veteran's disability severance pay for his left ankle condition was legally required to be recouped from his VA disability compensation due to the nature of the separation and the applicable laws.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left ankle disability and an increased rating for his thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that there was no current evidence of these conditions during or close to the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left ankle disability, increased rating for PTSD, and readjudication of ED. The appellant's PTSD symptoms result in deficiencies in most areas needed for a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for left ankle pain was granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for this condition.,Service connection has also been granted for bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus was aggravated by his active-duty service.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD) and sleep disorder (secondary to PTSD) have both been granted, with the latter being at least in equipoise as to causation.,The Veteran is now entitled to service connection for a left ankle condition, bilateral pes planus, erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD, and a sleep disorder secondary to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and left wrist disabilities due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion on aggravation.