Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a head injury, bilateral hearing loss, neck disability, gout of the right ankle, unspecified trauma or stress related disorder, tinnitus, and other musculoskeletal issues.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, sinusitis, and sleep apnea but granted service connection for bilateral ankle strain and bilateral knee strain. The claims for increased ratings were also denied.

The Board granted service connection for headaches, right and left ankle disabilities, sinusitis, rhinitis, and irritable bowel syndrome, and granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's service-connected headaches.

The Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for left ankle disability and a 40 percent rating for left lower extremity post-traumatic venous sufficiency, but the claim for a compensable rating for left ankle skin discoloration and/or disfigurement was denied.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection and initial rating claims due to untimely filings, except for chronic sinusitis which was granted on a direct basis.

The appeal for a higher disability rating for left ankle strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence and the need for additional examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, as well as service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder. The claims for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left hip degenerative arthritis, right hip degenerative arthritis, respiratory infection, and chronic sinusitis were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, a left ankle disability as secondary to the left knee condition, and left plantar fasciitis as secondary to the left knee condition.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to August 28, 2023, and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, solar lentigines, and acne as manifestations of a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI), while denying an increased rating for PTSD with residuals of traumatic brain injury. The Board also granted initial ratings for migraine and tension headaches, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and lumbosacral disability as there are pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors requiring further development.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder, right knee disability, and left ankle disability. The claims for a right ankle and left knee disability were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including residuals of a rib injury, left ankle injury, lower extremity sciatica, hypertension, blurred vision, chest pain, and kidney disease, as there was no current diagnosis or evidence of related functional impairment.

The claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, and left ankle strain are remanded due to inadequate VA compensation examination reports.

The Board remands the claim for an increased disability rating for traumatic degenerative arthritis (DJD) of the left ankle to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, left ankle disability, and right elbow disability after new evidence was submitted. The claim for a right shoulder disability was denied. Various knee and scar ratings were either granted or denied.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and right and left upper extremity numbness as secondary to the cervical spine disability, but denied service connection for right and left ankle disabilities and a compensable initial rating for a residual scar with post trauma neuropathy on the left thumb.

The Board denied service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, left and right ankle conditions, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, a noncompensable rating for chronic allergic rhinitis, and remanded claims for chronic sinusitis, GERD, and OSA.