Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's disability, residual scars and left ankle fracture, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the ratings for right ankle and shoulder conditions, as well as his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it did not manifest within one year of separation from service and there is no evidence linking the current condition to in-service noise exposure.,There is insufficient credible evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral wrist disability and his active duty service. The Veteran reported that he had wrist pain related to his duties as a teletype operator, but did not seek medical treatment for it during service.,The Veteran also does not have a current diagnosis of a bilateral ankle disability linked to service. He testified that he sprained his ankles due to jumping off the tank and marching on rough terrain in service.

The Veteran's hypertension and left ankle disability are being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current level of severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was granted an increased rating of 20 percent, but the surgical scar associated with his postoperative Achilles tendon rupture remains at a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left ankle fracture is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's muscle and joint pain of the ankles and hands, diagnosed as fibromyalgia, is granted service connection due to it being a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness incurred in Southwest Asia during his Persian Gulf War service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the period prior to January 5, 2016.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right eye disorder clearly and unmistakably existed prior to active service and was not aggravated by active service. Therefore, service connection for a right eye disorder is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional information regarding his service in the U.S. Army Reserves and further development of his left knee disability.

The Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis of the spine, is granted. The Veteran does not have current diagnoses for a left wrist disability, right wrist disability, or right foot disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for residuals of a right ankle injury, tinnitus, and bilateral knee disorders is granted. However, the appeals for left ankle injury and bilateral knee conditions are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability has been rated at 10 percent since June 6, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current functional limitations.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as her claims for service connection and increased ratings are not supported by the evidence of record. The Board finds that she does not have a current hearing loss disability, and her lumbar spine disability has not met the criteria for higher ratings at any point during the period of her appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records. The initial rating for his left ankle disability remains under review.

The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine and Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Ankle.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral foot disorder, including plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was incurred in service and aggravated by his military duties. The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or causation for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service personnel records and any outstanding VA treatment records. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot, ankle, and knee disabilities had their onsets during service. As a result, the claims for these conditions are granted.