Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right and left ankle, neck, right shoulder, left shoulder, left elbow, and right knee disabilities, as new evidence has been received that warrants readjudication.

The Board granted restoration of a 10 percent rating for the service-connected residuals of a left ankle sprain, effective October 1, 2020, and also granted a 20 percent rating for the period of the appeal.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and left ankle pain and dysfunction to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing whether the conditions pre-existed service, were aggravated during service, or are otherwise related to service.

The appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was dismissed as the issue is moot due to a full grant of benefits. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for other conditions were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and a TDIU prior to August 21, 2014, due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board remands the claim for a left leg disability, including the left ankle and foot, secondary to a right ankle disability due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for right lower and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, a rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension. However, the TDIU was granted.

The Board remands the claims for further development due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including unconfirmed service locations and lack of VA examinations.

The Veteran was granted a 100 percent disability rating for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain and major depressive episodes, effective May 6, 2021. The right ankle debridement of arthritis, post traumatic, was denied a higher rating, while service connection was granted for right knee pain but denied for low back pain and radiculopathy in the lower right extremity.

The Board remands all issues on appeal for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination and private medical records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, left ankle disability, tinnitus, and sciatic nerve impairment due to a lack of evidence supporting a direct relationship between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and depression (secondary to a service-connected TBI) but denied service connection for left ankle strain, right shoulder strain, rhinitis, and sinusitis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left and right ankle, knee, and PTSD, to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a cervical spine condition, low back condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, right ankle condition, right hip condition, urinary frequency, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to obtain additional evidence.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was granted a rating of 20 percent prior to December 28, 2021, and the claim for an increased rating since that date was denied. The Veteran was also granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining addendum nexus opinions and verifying reported stressor events.

The Board remands the claims for additional development, specifically to obtain retrospective VA medical opinions and address the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for a right ankle surgical scar, as there was no evidence of a combined area of at least 6 square inches or any other disabling effects.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for his service-connected left and right ankle disabilities, as the evidence did not support a finding of more severe limitation of motion than that already contemplated by the current 10 percent ratings.

The Board remands the claims for service connection of various musculoskeletal disabilities and entitlement to specially adapting housing benefits due to a need for additional evidence.