Ankle decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, hearing loss, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability are remanded due to a failure to provide the Veteran with VA examinations prior to adjudication of his claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, left shoulder arthritis, right ankle and knee conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational history.

The Board has determined that the VA examination in October 2019 was inadequate and remands the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities are related to service or secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board has granted service connection for right elbow tenosynovitis and left elbow tenosynovitis, but denied service connection for the other claimed conditions. The Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis and bursitis, as well as his left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis and bursitis, are not considered related to service. His left hip bursitis is also not supported by evidence of record.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for effective dates prior to specific dates for various service-connected disabilities of the hands and ankles.,For conditions involving the right shoulder, left elbow, and fingers, the Board found that the initial ratings were not met before or after the specified dates.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors in determining the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee and left ankle conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, and will require an examination to determine if the Veteran's right ankle disability is related to service.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle strain and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or a period of herbicide exposure. The right upper extremity condition remains unresolved.

The Veteran's service-connected gunshot wounds and PTSD did not cause or contribute to his death from cardiovascular conditions. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's hypertension claim is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the condition.,Her bilateral plantar fasciitis, to include flat foot, is rated at the maximum schedular disability rating (50%) and additional symptoms are not considered for a higher rating.,The Veteran's scars status post left ankle Kidner procedure with exploration left peroneal tendon do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities substantially contributed to his death, and therefore grants service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids is dismissed. The claim for service connection for a sleep disorder (claimed as trouble sleeping) is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased evaluations of bilateral knee and right ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence from VA examinations. The Veteran's current range of motion measurements, symptoms, and related impairment must be evaluated without the ameliorative effects of medication used to treat his disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran will be provided with notice of his right to a hearing before the VA.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and incomplete service treatment records, requiring further development.

The Veteran's claim for tension headaches was granted. Service connection is denied for hypertension, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, left elbow disability, hemorrhoids, right knee disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, shoulder disabilities, upper extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy, elbow and wrist disabilities, hand/finger disabilities, hip and knee disabilities, ankle and foot disabilities, lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss are all denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions during or proximate to the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for unspecified adjustment disorder has been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing their claim. The appeals for service connection for a skin condition, right hip condition, right ankle condition, and right knee condition are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient VA medical opinions and procedural errors. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral pulmonary embolism, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition, all of which are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle conditions are currently rated at 10 percent and the Board has denied entitlement to increased ratings.