Ankle decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to incomplete records, inadequate examinations, and potential errors in the initial rating decisions. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical evidence and VA treatment records, as well as obtain any vocational rehabilitation or Chapter 31 records.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of obstructive sleep apnea, disorder manifested by facial numbness, dysthymic disorder with panic disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hand tremors, lumbar spine disability, right hand disability, and right ankle disability have been dismissed due to withdrawal. Service connection has been granted for dysthymic disorder with panic disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ankle condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches.

The Veteran's left knee strain and left ankle strain have been granted restoration of their respective ratings to 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively. The rating for traumatic arthritis/causalgia, residuals right foot and ankle injury has also been restored to a 20 percent rating.,A 20 percent rating is granted for the Veteran's left knee strain and left ankle strain throughout the entire appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for severance of service connection for chronic lumbar strain and service connection for a right ankle disability, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in granting service connection for chronic lumbar strain. The Board also found that the right ankle disability is not related to the claimed service-connected condition.

The Veteran's left knee strain and left ankle strain have been granted restoration of their respective ratings to 10 percent for the entire appeal period.,A 20 percent rating has been granted for traumatic arthritis/causalgia, residuals right foot and ankle injury.

The Veteran's right ankle gout with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under DC 5271 for moderate limitation of motion. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of marked limitation of motion.,The Veteran's left ankle fusion with gout and degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under DC 5270 for ankylosis in dorsiflexion between 0 degrees and 10 degrees. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of ankylosis in plantar flexion or abduction, adduction, inversion, or eversion deformity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his left ankle, left hip, and right hip disabilities as well as his acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, left ankle strain, sleep apnea, and tinnitus. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as he does not have a current disability. The claims for tinnitus, headaches, left knee pain, right knee pain, irritable bowel syndrome, left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, left ankle pain, left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, numbness in the legs and feet, foot pain/plantar fasciitis/heel spurs, lumbago/back pain, neck pain have all been remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's right ankle arthritis with limitation of motion is rated at 20 percent since January 31, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grants because her service-connected conditions do not meet the eligibility criteria under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition and a right ankle condition due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the onset of these conditions during active duty.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted as service-connected. The claims for the remaining conditions are denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied due to the lack of medical or lay evidence showing these conditions during the appeal period.,The Veteran's claim for left ankle disability is remanded as there are duty-to-assist errors related to missing records from Martin Army Hospital and an inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board is remanding the case to determine if he qualifies for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has granted readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder, but has also remanded the case to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current right ankle condition and his in-service treatment.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding PTSD and the initial rating for left ankle disability due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral ankle disability as there was no evidence showing the condition began during or was related to active service.