Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death, as an appellant's claim does not survive their death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's preexisting conditions were not aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions of the left and right hands, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and foot, but granted service connection for a right knee disability and fibromyalgia. The decision was based on medical evidence that did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied an increased rating of more than 20 percent for left ankle degenerative arthritis from February 19, 2024.

The Board granted the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition, but denied petitions to reopen claims for residuals of heat exhaustion, any dysfunction regulating body temperature, and a right ankle condition. The Board also remanded claims for bruxism and a bilateral shoulder condition.

The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, bilateral hip conditions and entitlement to specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated during his period of ACDUTRA.

The Board denied service connection for a left and right ankle condition due to the lack of evidence showing current diagnoses, while remanding the claim for bilateral hearing loss for further medical evaluation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, neck condition, upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral flatfoot, right foot plantar fasciitis, and right ankle pain, as the current evidence is inadequate to make a decision.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's acute right ankle sprain, resolved, finding that it rises to the level of a functional impairment of earning capacity.

The Board denied restoration of the 30 percent ratings for left knee arthritis (flexion), left knee strain arthritis (extension), and left knee instability, as well as a 20 percent rating for left ankle chronic sprain. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were also denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right ankle disability, but remanded claims for service connection for sinusitis and back disability.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings of the Veteran's lumbar spine and right ankle disabilities to correct an error by the AOJ in satisfying the regulatory duty to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board granted service connection for right ankle and leg cellulitis, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to an in-service condition.

The Veteran withdrew all service connection claims for a left knee, right knee, and left foot and/or left ankle disability.

The Veteran's service connection for right ankle range-of-motion loss, secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain status post laminectomy and microdiscectomy, was granted. An earlier effective date of March 1, 2016, but no earlier, for the 20 percent rating assigned for lumbar strain status post laminectomy and microdiscectomy was also granted.