Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a back disability and an earlier effective date of April 27, 2023, for right ankle pain. The claim for a higher rating for GERD was denied.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for various disabilities, including left and right knee disabilities, a right ankle disability, and right lower nerve impairments.

The Board granted service connection for olecranon enthesophyte to include degenerative arthritis of the left elbow, degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, insomnia, and headaches, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The veteran has withdrawn the appeals for service connection for a back condition, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee condition, and left ankle condition.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction, left foot peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, and hypertension, effective from November 2, 2022. Other claims were denied.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The other issues were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to pre-decisional errors in not verifying periods of active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty for training with various reserve units and in obtaining adequate medical examinations.

The Board granted service connection for left and right ankle disabilities manifested by pain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and bilateral hip osteoarthritis.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's left and right hip conditions, but granted a separate 10 percent rating for painful left ankle scars.

The Board dismissed the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for multi-joint arthritis and service connection for right ankle tendonitis as duplicative of another appeal already pending before the Board, while denying a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability, as there is no evidence establishing a nexus between the in-service injury and current disability.

The Board denied service connection for left breast cyst and obesity, as well as increased ratings for various conditions including a right knee scar.

The Board remands all the issues for further development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and providing additional forms to the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for multiple osteoarthritis conditions, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and gout based on the evidence showing a relationship to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board remands the claims for a lower back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right ankle disability to obtain additional evidence.

The Board denied service connection for high cholesterol and hyperlipidemia, finding that these conditions are not disabilities for VA benefits purposes. The claims for abdominal pain, fatigue, bilateral toe fungus, right hand disorder, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder were remanded for further development.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed, and the Veteran's rating for chronic left ankle sprain was denied. However, a separate 10 percent rating for instability of the left ankle was granted.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for headaches and denied an increased initial disability rating for right ankle degenerative arthritis, while remanding the claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran withdrew all claims except for service connection for sleep apnea, which was remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not show that she was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities.