Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for various joint conditions, including degenerative arthritis of the back, neck, shoulders, knees, hips, ankles, and elbows/arms are granted. The specific diagnoses include PTSD, right ankle condition, degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, bilateral knee conditions, bilateral hip conditions, bilateral ankle conditions, and a left elbow/arm condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address his claims of service connection for COPD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and vertigo. This includes obtaining missing service treatment records, reviewing deck logs from the USS Guam, scheduling VA examinations, and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered.

The Veteran's left leg disability, resulting from a service-connected tibia and fibula fracture with degenerative changes in the ankle, is rated at 30 percent effective November 29, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the claim.

The Veteran's left ankle disability has been granted a 20 percent rating since November 19, 2008.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including gathering of records and scheduling of VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from September 5, 2012. The appeal is now remanded for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU prior to that date.

The Board found that the Veteran's left foot and ankle disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has determined that his claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's reports of worsening service-connected conditions. The issues on appeal include a claim for an increased evaluation for lumbosacral strain, a request for a compensable evaluation for right ankle sprain, and a TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his right ankle disability. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for chondromalacia patella of the right knee with degenerative changes, arthritis of the right ankle, and DDD of the lumbar spine with collapsed discs. The Veteran's claims for other disorders are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ankle disorder and his bilateral tinea unguium of the toenails affects less than 5 percent of his total body area. The Veteran's impairment of the right thigh due to osteoarthritis warrants an initial compensable rating, but limitation of flexion of the right thigh due to osteoarthritis does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracic and lumbar strain, claimed as middle and lower back disorder. The cervical strain and bilateral ankle strain claims have been denied.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has been rated at 20 percent, and his left ankle disability prior to September 20, 2013, was also rated at 20 percent. From September 20, 2013, to May 16, 2016, the Veteran's left ankle disability was rated at 30 percent, and from May 16, 2016, it has been rated at 20 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left medial ankle surgical scar and neuropathy of the calcaneal branch of the posterior tibial nerve, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's left and right ankle degenerative arthritis are currently rated at 20 percent each, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis and ligament instability are both currently rated at 10 percent each, with a separate 20 percent rating for ligament instability of the right knee prior to May 2, 2017, and higher than 20 percent from that date.,There is no specific service connection theory provided in this decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including whether they are related to service. The case will be remanded for a new VA examination.

The Veteran does not have a current left ankle disability. The VA examiner found no evidence of a chronic condition prior to 2009 in his post-service treatment records, and the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuity of symptomatology were not considered until after the January 2010 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle, neck, and back disabilities are not related to his active duty service or any other service-connected disability. The evidence does not support a finding of chronicity of these conditions within one year after separation from service.