Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for cervical spine, low back, left hip, and left ankle disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examinations.

The veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for left knee instability prior to February 7, 2021, and restoration of a separate 10 percent rating for a shell fragment wound of the left thigh. Other issues were denied or remanded.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for the right ankle and service connection for right ear hearing loss and pulmonary lung disability. All other issues were remanded for further evaluation.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hemorrhoids was denied, but the claim for TDIU from December 15, 2020 to September 1, 2022 was granted.

The appeal for service connection of a right ankle disability was dismissed because the veteran withdrew the appeal.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for IBS and higher ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and IBS were denied. Service connection for GERD was granted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability was readjudicated due to new evidence. Other claims, including those for left elbow, hand, shoulder, thigh, ankle, right elbow disabilities, cataracts, hypertension, diabetes, GERD, and chronic kidney disease were denied. The claim for a right knee disability was remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for specially adapted housing (SAH) and special home adaptation grant (SHA) was denied because his service-connected conditions do not meet the required criteria.

The Board remanded the claim for service connection for urinary incontinence with cystocele. The Veteran's representative was given an opportunity to present arguments, but did not specifically address this issue.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board granted the appeal as the AOJ failed to follow proper procedures in severing service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings, finding that it was not factually ascertainable prior to January 4, 2023, that his conditions began during active service or worsened to a level warranting an increase in evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition, neck condition, bilateral foot condition, bilateral hand / fingers condition, and bilateral wrist condition as the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder as the evidence did not establish a nexus between the in-service injury and the current diagnosis of osteoarthritis, with no chronicity noted post-service until 2015.

The Board remanded several claims for readjudication and denied others, including service connection for COPD, hemorrhoids, left shoulder condition, right shoulder injury, and sinusitis.

The veteran withdrew the appeal, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review this matter.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disability with obesity as an intermediate step. The claim for a right ankle disability was denied.

The Board dismissed the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to an untimely appeal.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee and ankle disabilities due to inadequate VA examination reports and failure to properly develop the claim.

The Board granted service connection for a left ankle disability but denied it for a heart disability.