Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, right ankle disability, and right knee disability as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a right hand and right ankle injuries due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease was granted a rating of 40 percent from August 4, 2017, to January 8, 2024, and the claim for a higher rating since January 9, 2024, was denied. The Veteran's TDIU effective date was granted as of July 3, 2020.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, left and right shoulder disabilities, and a right ankle disability to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for gouty arthritis of the left index finger, right hand, and right and left elbows, as well as the right wrist, left wrist, and left ankle due to clear and unmistakable error in previous rating decisions. The motion to revise the January 16, 2019 rating decision that denied service connection for gouty arthritis of the right ankle, right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, right hip, and left hip was denied.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disorder, shoulder disorder, and bilateral ankle disorder as they were not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident from active service.

The Board granted a rating of 30 percent for left knee osteoarthritis and right knee osteoarthritis, effective from April 19, 2018 to January 25, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder, hypertension, right elbow pain, back pain, and left shoulder strain. The effective date for an increased disability rating of 100 percent for PTSD was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder and sleep apnea as they did not manifest during or are otherwise related to the appellant's period of active military, naval, or air service.

The Board granted an effective date of January 31, 2013, for service connection for a linear anterior right ankle scar.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that it was manifested by no more than moderate limited motion of the ankle.

The Board remands the claim for a right ankle disability to schedule a VA examination and obtain an opinion on whether there is any current diagnosis or functional impairment, and if so, whether it is related to service.

The Board granted restoration of the 30 percent rating for right knee degenerative arthritis with limited flexion and the 20 percent rating for right ankle degenerative arthritis, effective October 1, 2023.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left hip and ankle disorders to obtain a proper nexus opinion and additional evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and non-compensable ratings for shin splints, right leg, left leg, and TBI. However, it granted restoration of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain effective June 1, 2023, and remanded claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ankle strain, left ankle strain, and cervical strain.

The Board granted an effective date of August 21, 2019, for the assignment of a 100 percent rating for PTSD with depressive disorder and granted service connection for headaches and vertigo as secondary to the service-connected PTSD.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, lower back disorder (claimed as 'lower back with sciatica'), left leg pain (claimed as an artery rupture), and a bilateral ankle disorder due to insufficient evidence of record.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease, to include as secondary to a left ankle disability, due to missing service treatment records and the need for VA examinations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis, right foot plantar fasciitis, right ankle strain, and cervical strain to correct a duty to assist error.