Ankle decisions — 2026

The Board denied service connection for left elbow tendinitis, bladder disability, epididymitis, penile condition/vasectomy, left testicular disability, right foot disability, left knee disability, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, and right ankle sprain/right shoulder disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is granted a 20% rating, effective from the date of decision. The low back disability is granted a 20% rating since March 28, 2024. The TDIU claim for the period July 10, 2014 to January 11, 2017 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right ankle condition and left ankle strain with degenerative joint disease was denied due to the untimely filing of the Board Appeal requests.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC based on aid and attendance is granted, with the effective date set at October 11, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle condition, but denied service connection for a right knee condition.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, low back disability, bilateral foot disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are being remanded due to the inability to obtain relevant private treatment records. The Veteran will be notified of the issue with his authorization and given an opportunity to provide new information or submit the records himself.

The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities were granted service connection effective February 9, 2023.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current evidence of hearing impairment meeting VA criteria.,Glaucoma is granted as secondary to the service-connected asthma, with the condition aggravated by steroid use.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain is currently rated at 20 percent, effective July 3, 2013. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating due to limited motion of the right shoulder.,The Veteran's left ankle strain is currently rated at 10 percent, effective July 3, 2013. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating due to limited motion of the left ankle.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of aid and attendance, as he requires assistance with activities such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, medication management, and housekeeping/laundry due to his TBI, PTSD, OSA, headaches, lumbar spine disability, arthritis, and severe chronic back pain. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee condition, right ankle disability, liver conditions, hypertension, sinusitis, and hypercholesterolemia. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, as he has maintained substantial income from previous employment and his current education and work history suggest he can perform sedentary or semi-sedentary work.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 19, 2019, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to an effective date prior to June 23, 2023, for a 40 percent rating for right shoulder impingement syndrome (rotator cuff tendinopathy), and for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for rhinitis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for rhinitis was granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act, with an effective date set at August 10, 2022.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to lack of legal merit. The Veteran did not meet the eligibility criteria for SAH, as he did not have a permanent and total service-connected disability. For SMC, the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him helpless enough to require regular aid and attendance from another person.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left hip strain, back disability, and left ankle sprain due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities or a link between service and these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee disorders, finding that these conditions are secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot disorders (pes planus and plantar fasciitis).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the loss of use of both lower extremities, necessitating the use of assistive devices such as braces, crutches, canes, rollators, and walkers. The Board has granted eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left foot condition has been dismissed due to a duty to assist error.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.