Ankle Board decisions

The Board has denied service connection for left ankle disability due to the lack of evidence of a current diagnosis. The lower back disability claim is remanded for additional development and medical inquiry.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and secondary service connection are remanded due to the need for updated examinations to assess the current severity of his knee disabilities, as well as their impact on other disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities was denied in March 1985. New evidence has been submitted, relating to a current disability and unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim. The Board finds this new evidence is material and grants the petition to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and a TDIU are being remanded due to the inextricability of these issues. The VA Form 21-8940 must be completed and returned.

The Board has ordered new examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right hip and right ankle disabilities due to incomplete examination reports. The initial ratings for these conditions remain on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected chronic low back strain is granted an evaluation of 40 percent, effective May 16, 2014. The right ankle disability with degenerative arthritis is granted a 30 percent evaluation beginning April 26, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of recurrent lumbar strain, residuals of right knee surgery, and recurrent synovitis of the left ankle have been remanded.,Issues related to PTSD, TDIU, service connection for lumbar strain, right knee surgery, and recurrent synovitis of the left ankle are also being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression, neck, back, ankle, and foot conditions, made it impossible for him to engage in substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board granted a TDIU on an accrued basis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to provide more detailed information about the severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right thumb and little finger trauma residuals, lumbar spine disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, and bowel disorder with constipation. The case requires further examination to determine the etiology of these disorders.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin rashes, right ankle osteophyte, chronic fatigue syndrome (as secondary to depressive disorder), PTSD, and functional gastrointestinal disorder including IBS have been granted. The decision also dismisses the claim of service connection for sleep disturbance.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine disabilities were denied. The Veteran’s right ankle disability was granted a rating of 20 percent effective February 3, 2016.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for an eye disorder due to the presence of multiple current diagnoses.,Other issues related to knee and ankle rheumatoid arthritis have also been remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the right ankle is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right ankle disability, migraine headaches (as proximately due to or caused by service-connected tinnitus), and left ankle and depression disabilities. The claim for service connection for a right ankle disability was not reopened as new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining treatment records. The issues of service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and increased ratings for left ear hearing loss disability and limitation of left hip flexion are deferred until further notice.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right wrist, finger, neck, left leg, right leg, left knee, right knee, right ankle, left foot, and right foot disabilities are denied as there is no current diagnosis of a chronic disability in any of these areas.,Service connection for headache (including migraines), bipolar disorder, and eating disorder were also denied due to lack of evidence supporting the presence of such conditions during service or their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of various disabilities, including sleep apnea, left knee disability, right knee disability, right ankle disability, chronic sinusitis, stress incontinence, residuals from cervical biopsies, and alopecia.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for various service-connected disabilities due to inadequate recent VA examinations. The Veteran will need new evaluations to determine current severity.