Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and leg conditions due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, while claims for service connection for a back disability, to include back strain; a right ankle disability; a right knee disability; and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date, as the maximum schedular rating of 100 percent for PTSD with persistent depressive disorder and traumatic brain injury has been in effect since April 19, 2019.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, with some issues being remanded.

The Board denied increased ratings for lumbar strain with disc degeneration, left knee sprain, and hiatal hernia but granted a 20 percent rating for left ankle strain.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent, but no higher, on and after November 19, 2023.

The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and other related claims, resulting in their dismissal.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic gastrointestinal disability, to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and remanded claims for bilateral plantar fasciitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), cervical spine, lumbar spine, left knee, and left ankle disabilities.

The veteran withdrew the appeals for increased ratings of bowel urgency, PTSD, and right ankle disability.

The Board granted service connection for parkinsonism as it is caused by the medications used to treat his service-connected major depressive disorder. The left ankle and carpal tunnel syndrome issues were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) as it was not aggravated by service. The issues of back disability, hypertension, and right ankle disability were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining any outstanding private or VA treatment records and readjudicating the claims based on all evidence of record.

The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion with an adequate rationale that is also substantially compliant with the December 2023 Board remand directives.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle sprain and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU) for further development.

The Board remands the claims for a left ankle disability rating and TDIU due to an inadequate February 2025 VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right ankle disabilities were granted increased ratings to 40 percent from July 8, 2016.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left and right ankle disability to obtain new medical opinions addressing both direct and secondary theories of entitlement.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a neck condition, right knee condition, lumbar degenerative disc disease, and ankle disabilities, as there was no evidence linking them to the Veteran's active-duty service. The claim for balanitis xerotica obliterans is remanded.

All appeals listed were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran was granted a 50 percent rating for acneiform pitting scars of the face from October 23, 2013, to December 26, 2018, and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent from December 26, 2018. Service connection was denied for left ankle, right ankle, right knee, and right foot disabilities.