Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, right knee pain, right ankle sprain, and ear infection as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions. The lumbosacral strain claim was remanded for further development.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and left ankle disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability due to duty-to-assist errors, including the need for an adequate medical examination and outstanding private treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20 percent disability rating for his service-connected status post right ankle fracture with arthritis, and remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for herniated disc, lumbar spine L5-S1.

The Board granted service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis, status post Achilles tendon repair and remanded claims for further development.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of November 15, 2021, for service connection for left ankle strain.

The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and ratings for various conditions, including sinusitis, dyspnea with respiratory insufficiency, alcohol use disorder, hypertension, right foot fourth metatarsal fracture residuals, right ankle strain, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical spine pain, left shoulder disorder, left elbow disorder, left ankle pain, and left knee pain due to outstanding private treatment records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for a left ankle and left foot condition to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and to afford the Veteran new VA examinations.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the limitations of motion and other factors.

The Board denied service connection for weight gain and remanded several issues related to the Veteran's other claimed disabilities, including ratings for various musculoskeletal conditions and service connection for psychiatric and other medical conditions.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for a low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral ankle disorder as there was no evidence of these conditions manifesting in service or within one year thereafter, nor any evidence linking them to the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's obesity, which was linked to his service-connected disabilities, contributed to its development.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right knee, and left ankle disabilities as the evidence did not support a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service or any service-connected disability.

The appeal is remanded to obtain opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle ganglion cyst, spondylosis of the lumbar spine, knee strain, and acromioclavicular joint arthritis are caused or aggravated by his service-connected chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle condition, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The claims for service connection for left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent effective March 10, 2022, and the appeal for an earlier effective date was denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, a left ankle disability, a right shoulder disability, a lumbar spine disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a stomach disability (claimed as stomach parasite), to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board granted service connection for left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, and right shoulder strain based on evidence showing current disabilities etiologically related to in-service injuries.