Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for radiculopathy impacting the right and left lower extremities, but granted service connection for a left ankle strain due to its association with a service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, left ankle tendinosis, and left knee osteoarthritis. Service connection was denied for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions, including headaches, PTSD, facial scarring, a left ankle condition, and others.

The Board remands the claim for a left ankle disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion that adequately considers the Veteran's reports of in-service injury and persistent symptoms.

The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as adjustment and other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorders. The initial evaluations for right shoulder labral tear, right ankle sprain, left ankle sprain, right hip strain with limitation of flexion, right hip strain with limitation of extension, right hip strain with impairment of thigh, and allergic rhinitis were denied.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, as well as increased ratings for certain service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, left ankle sprain with painful motion, PTSD with alcohol use disorder, and bilateral pes planus.

The Board remands the claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent or 20 percent for various musculoskeletal conditions to correct a pre-decisional error and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, granted service connection for tinnitus, and remanded claims for right ear hearing loss and OSA.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent disability rating for right ankle instability, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was granted a 20 percent rating as of September 11, 2012, and the Veteran was also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from July 13, 2010, to September 11, 2012.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for left knee, right ankle, and left ankle degenerative arthritis as there is no evidence of a current disability; in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury; and a nexus between the claimed in-service disease or injury and the present disease or injury.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability, finding that the evidence did not support a direct link to an in-service injury or event.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension and persistent depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and neurocognitive disorder, but remanded other claims related to diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, headaches, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy, left ankle disorder, chronic fatigue, prostate cancer residuals, erectile dysfunction, and more.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition and granted an initial rating of 30 percent for migraine headaches, while denying increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with thoracolumbar strain, right shoulder strain, left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, and right knee strain.

The Veteran's claim for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) was denied as the evidence did not show that he required personal health-care services provided on a daily basis in his home by a person who is licensed to provide such services or under the regular supervision of a licensed health-care professional.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disorder and remanded issues related to the right shoulder, left shoulder, and right ankle disabilities.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for some conditions and denied an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain, while remanding service connection claims for left and right wrist disorders.

The Board granted a 20 percent initial disability rating for right big toe sprain and denied an increased rating for plantar fasciitis, right foot. The right ankle Achilles tendinitis issue was remanded for further development.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection for various conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis of the lower back and left and right ankle disabilities.