Ankle decisions — 2026

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle condition, finding that there is no medical nexus between her current disability and her in-service Achilles strain. The Veteran was not granted service connection as she did not meet the criteria for establishing service connection.

The Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period, rendering moot any question of a TDIU.

The Veteran's right ankle disorder is related to service, but the left ankle disorder may be secondary to the right ankle disorder. The Board finds that remand is necessary for further examination and opinion regarding both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle, bilateral hip, and right knee disabilities as secondary to the service-connected left ankle strain.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for recurrent dislocation, right shoulder is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current symptoms.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and low back disability are remanded to allow for further examination and determination of their relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, varicose veins in leg, and panic disorder are all denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The left ankle disability (manifested by pain) is granted secondary to the service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for tinnitus, as well as an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss, have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left ankle disability and left shoulder disability have been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for arthritis of the left ankle and bilateral plantar fasciitis with left foot degenerative arthritis and heel spur are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right ankle disability is related to a previously service-connected condition, specifically his left ankle disability. The Veteran needs to undergo another VA examination to address these concerns.

The Board has denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for his entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The TDIU was granted effective October 10, 2023, but the Board found that the issue of unemployability had not been previously adjudicated. The DEA benefits were also denied as they became effective on the same date as the TDIU award.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing is granted because he has a permanent and total disability due to loss of use of the lower extremities, requiring regular and constant use of an assistive device.

The Board has granted restoration of the 20 percent rating for right ankle residuals of medial malleolus/medial talus fracture, deltoid ligament sprain, lateral collateral ligament strain, and osteoarthritis from August 1, 2021.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction was dismissed as moot due to the AOJ's grant of the claim in full.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis, right ankle osteoarthritis, and right foot metatarsalgia.,Service connection is established based on direct evidence of the conditions in question.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right ankle disabilities, finding that the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuous symptoms both in and since separation from service are credible. The evidence is approximately balanced as to whether these disabilities are related to his active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for all issues related to service connection and rating decisions from February 2017, May 2019, and November 2019 due to untimely Notice of Disagreement filings.

The Board has remanded all claims due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart disability, lower back, left knee, right ankle, and right hand disabilities. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's low back condition, and remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and right wrist conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left ankle disability is granted, and the effective date for TDIU is set at November 15, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GAD is denied as his anxiety symptoms are subsumed under PTSD.,Service connection for Right Shoulder Strain and Left Ankle Disability is denied due to lack of current diagnosis or evidence of functional impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability. The claims of entitlement to service connection for left ankle, left knee, and hemorrhoids disabilities are remanded due to procedural errors.