Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board remands all claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically the need to obtain Social Security Administration records and an addendum opinion regarding vertigo.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spondylolisthesis and bilateral ankle dermatitis, restored the ratings for left knee limitation of extension, left ankle degenerative joint disease (DJD), and right ankle DJD, and denied service connection for sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a right 5th finger scar, increased ratings for left knee flexion and extension, and rhinitis.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to insufficient evidence and failure to obtain necessary medical examinations and opinions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle and left knee arthritis due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for complex regional pain syndrome, left ankle injury (peroneus brevis muscle tear with ankle and foot strain), and dermatitis as the additional disability was not shown to be caused by VA treatment.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to an untimely notice of disagreement. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for various disabilities were denied or remanded.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for left knee degenerative disease, right knee degenerative disease, and right ankle condition due to a need for further development.

The Board granted service connection for a right wrist disability, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and left knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The claims for a right knee disability, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition were denied.

The Board denied an effective date prior to August 25, 2022, for the grant of service connection for left ankle strain due to a lack of evidence showing intent to file a claim for this condition before that date.

The Board denied an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left ankle condition, as the evidence did not show marked limited motion of the ankle even after repetitive testing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and foot disabilities as there is no evidence that these conditions originated in or are related to his period of active duty.

The appeal seeking an increased rating for right ankle tendonitis was dismissed as a matter of law due to the untimely filing of the VA Form 10182.

The Board granted service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, diagnosed as bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis. The left ankle disorder claim was remanded for further development.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for headaches. Several claims were remanded for further development.

The appeal seeking service connection for PTSD, a left ankle condition, and back injury was dismissed due to a prohibited concurrent election under the modernized appeals system.

The Board granted service connection for a left ankle disability and denied service connection for hearing loss, with the acquired psychiatric disorder remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded several other issues.

The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and sleep apnea. The claims for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for left ankle sprain and a compensable initial rating for common headaches were denied.

The Board granted service connection for a gastrointestinal disability as secondary to medication used to treat the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability, but denied higher ratings for the left ankle and right shoulder disabilities, and denied a higher rating for tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and TDIU is granted.