Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board remands the appeal for additional development to ensure adequate reasons and bases are provided, particularly regarding the Veteran's limitation of motion for plantar flexion and dorsiflexion of the right ankle.

The Board remands the claim for a left ankle disability to obtain an adequate examination and fulfill the duty to assist.

All appeals for ratings in excess of the current ratings or service connection were dismissed due to impermissible concurrent elections.

The Board granted effective dates of April 15, 2020, for service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral ankle sprain, and lumbar strain with IVDS.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the appeal for revision of the November 1994 rating decision, which denied a compensable rating for left ankle disability on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle condition due to insufficient evidence of a current disability, and remanded the claim for varicose veins due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, a left ankle disorder, a right ankle disorder, and hypertension as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied a compensable disability rating for scars right ankle status post arthroscopy and remanded the claims for higher ratings for right ankle sprain with instability, right knee tendinitis, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The appeal for service connection for a right ankle disorder was dismissed due to a procedural defect.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for his right ankle condition, right knee patellar chondromalacia, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis and right foot plantar fasciitis, acquired pes cavus (claw foot) and degenerative arthritis based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's effective date for a 20 percent rating for his right ankle disability was granted as of April 21, 2022, but an earlier effective date for the 10 percent rating for painful incision scar was denied.

The Board granted service connection for right foot pes planus, lumbosacral strain, left ankle disability manifested by pain, and tinnitus based on the evidence being approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for the back disability prior to April 13, 2017, and a 40 percent rating from August 2, 2019, to December 30, 2019, but denied higher ratings in other periods. The Board also remanded several service connection claims.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a sleep disorder, cervical spine disability, low back disability, left thumb disability, right leg disability, and left ankle disability, to ensure that there is a complete record upon which to decide the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle and knee disabilities as the evidence did not show that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.

The case is remanded for further development to clarify the current evaluation assigned and obtain additional medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for his right ankle disability for further development and readjudication.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for left ankle ankylosis in dorsiflexion and a separate initial 20 percent rating for instability of the left ankle, effective November 4, 2016.