Ankle decisions — 2026

The Board has decided that the Veteran is eligible for enrollment in the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) based on his service-connected conditions. However, due to a legal inadequacy and the need for a more detailed medical opinion, the case must be remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis has been dismissed as the Board already considered this issue and found no new evidence to grant a higher rating.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for his left ankle condition, lumbar condition, and radiculopathy disabilities are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as right and left ankle disabilities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions that did not apply the proper 'but-for' analysis for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and a left ankle disability have been dismissed due to an improper concurrent election of review options. The Veteran also had his claim for IBS denied.,Service connection for hearing loss was denied as the Veteran does not meet the VA requirements for hearing loss in either ear.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle, left knee, and right knee conditions are being remanded due to errors in the duty to assist.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, transient global amnesia, tinnitus, and PTSD have been denied. The Board has found that there is no competent evidence of these conditions during the pendency of the claim.,For the lumbar spine disability, the Veteran was granted service connection but a higher rating remains in dispute.

The Veteran's migraines are found to be secondary to her service-connected PTSD.,Her lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right hip strain, and both ankle lateral collateral ligament sprains are all found to be secondary to her service-connected bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, Morton's disease, right foot dorsal exostosis, and status post foot tarsal fracture.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle pain/arthritis due to a lack of an opinion addressing causation and aggravation, as well as gait-related issues. The case is being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral ankle and knee conditions and erectile dysfunction. The issues are related to his active duty service.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to the Veteran's knee conditions and secondary service connection requests due to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to lack of consideration of evidence from specific rating decisions, and a need for new VA examinations to assess the baseline severity of his left ankle and right knee disabilities without considering the effects of OTC pain medications.

The Veteran's initial request for a higher rating for his left Achilles' tendonitis was denied prior to April 4, 2023. However, from that date onward, he is now eligible for a 20 percent rating.,From April 4, 2023, the Veteran has been granted a 20 percent rating for his service-connected left ankle disability.

Service connection for GERD, ED, sinusitis, RLE nerve disorder, LLE nerve disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right ankle disorder, and left shoulder disorder is denied as these conditions are not shown to be related to service.

The Board granted service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, but denied an earlier effective date for the left ankle sprain claim.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ankle condition, right ankle pain, bilateral hip pain, lower back pain, and neck condition have all been granted. The Veteran also received a temporary increased rating of 10 percent for his right knee disorder from December 21, 2023, and a similar increase for his left knee disorder.

The Veteran's left ankle, wrist, thumb, and elbow conditions are granted service connection. The GERD is also granted as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's cervical spine and left ankle disabilities are being remanded for further examination and medical opinions to determine their etiology, as the current VA examinations were inadequate. The Veteran contends that his disabilities developed from service-related injuries.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for left and right ankle conditions with pain (claimed as bilateral osteochondral lesions of the talar dome).

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) eligibility, finding that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability prior to February 17, 2022.