Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability and arthritis of knees and ankles are secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. However, there is no evidence of left ankle arthritis during or within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depressive disorders, not otherwise specified, and PTSD; increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, boutonniere deformity of the right little finger, degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, degenerative arthritis of the left ankle, and residuals of a right wrist injury have been denied. The Veteran's claims are currently under appellate status.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder, knee (pre-arthroplasty), hip, and foot heel spur conditions have been granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent from January 1, 2008 to October 17, 2014. The ankle tendonitis has been granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent from January 1, 2008 to October 17, 2014 and 30 percent from October 17, 2014. The lumbar spine degenerative arthritis has been granted a noncompensable rating from January 1, 2008 to March 6, 2017, and a 20 percent rating from March 6, 2017.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent since August 28, 2017. The Board finds that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether the symptoms of the Veteran's right ankle disability more nearly approximate marked limitation of motion prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing with a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA and private treatment records. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service to consider whether an extra-schedular rating is warranted for his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted a 40 percent rating effective August 10, 2017. The left ankle sprain and GERD were each granted increased ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to service or service-connected conditions, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his claims regarding right ankle degenerative joint disease with chronic sprains, as well as secondary service connection claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and thoracolumbar spine disorder. Specifically, VA examinations are required to clarify the nature of any current disorders and their etiology.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine myositis, bilateral shoulder tendinitis, and bilateral ankle arthritis. However, the VA examiner concluded that these conditions are less likely than not related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of her service-connected left ankle and bilateral foot disabilities, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling new examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to deficiencies in the examination reports and because it is unclear whether the examinations sufficiently reflect the current severity of his service-connected left knee and right ankle disabilities.

The Veteran is granted a 10 percent evaluation for his left ankle disability prior to October 17, 2011. He remains entitled to an initial compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is characterized by marked limitation of motion, and the Board has determined that a rating of 20 percent, but no more, is warranted for this condition.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, characterized by marked limitation of motion, is now rated at 20 percent effective May 15, 2010.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for his bilateral ankle and foot conditions, as the March 2012 VA examiner did not consider all of the Veteran's in-service complaints and recent lay statements.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, originally claimed as PTSD, is not related to or caused by any event in service.,The right ankle disability was also determined to be unrelated to events in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and knee disorders as well as a lower back disorder are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide an updated opinion from the VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder and foot disorder have been reopened, but further development is needed to address the merits of these claims.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) remains pending.