Ankle decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ankle, right ankle, and right foot disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for left ankle tendinitis, right ankle tendinitis, sleep apnea, and both knee conditions are denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is denied because the medical records do not establish continuity of care from service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing and following a substantially gainful occupation as of January 8, 2015.,Effective January 8, 2015, the Veteran is eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance due to his permanent total disability status.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and fibromyalgia disabilities. The claims for increased ratings of ankle and knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left ankle arthritis, atelectasis in the lungs, hypothyroidism, and mucoid left sphenoid sinus as they were improperly docketed.

The appeal for a compensable disability rating for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is dismissed due to untimeliness of the Notice of Disagreement.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction prior to February 12, 2025, is denied. The Veteran's claim is remanded as there was no examination addressing his left ankle degenerative arthritis and whether it could be a MUCMI or aggravated by his left knee condition.,The appeal of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle prior to February 12, 2025, is remanded due to lack of an adequate VA opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left ankle disability and right ear hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent for the left ankle disability.

The Veteran's right ankle arthritis is presumed to be related to service. The Veteran's bilateral hand arthritis, thoracic anterior wedge compression fracture, lumbar spine disability, right leg radiculopathy, left leg radiculopathy, kidney stones, endocarditis, and Parkinson's disease are not granted as service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The effective dates for earlier connection claims remain denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD remains pending and requires further development to verify the stressors reported during service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, left knee, right ankle, kidney, and heart disabilities are remanded for additional medical opinions.,No specific exposure basis is provided in this decision.

The Veteran's left, right shin, and ankle disabilities are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right foot and left foot disabilities are also granted as service-connected. However, the Veteran's right shoulder disability is denied due to lack of a causal relationship with her service.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for all issues related to service connection and increased rating claims. The Board dismissed the appeals due to the withdrawal.

The Veteran's left ankle disability has been rated at 10 percent based on limitation of motion, with dorsiflexion limited to 5 degrees and plantar flexion within normal limits.,The Veteran's right ankle disability has also been rated at 10 percent based on limitation of motion, with dorsiflexion within normal limits and plantar flexion within normal limits.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to his withdrawal of appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right ankle conditions are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 11, 2023, for total disability due to individual unemployability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not clearly establish unemployability due to service-connected disabilities before this date and there was no formal claim for TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination findings and requests for a new evaluation of the Veteran's left ankle condition.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's right foot disorder is granted service connection, and the claims for left ankle and hip disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's left little, ring, middle, index fingers, and left thumb with tenosynovitis have been granted a 10 percent disability rating effective June 17, 2012. The left ankle disability has also been granted a 20 percent disability rating effective June 17, 2012.