Ankle Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, but denied service connection for hip and bilateral ankle disorders.,There is no evidence of chronicity or underlying disease process in service. The Veteran's current hip and ankle conditions are not linked to his period of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his appeal for TDIU on an extraschedular basis is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating of the Veteran's right knee disability, as well as his right ankle, left ankle, low back, and right hip disabilities. The case is also remanded to obtain updated treatment records and provide new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional service records and requests from the Veteran. The appeal will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of treatment records. The issue of a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease, right ankle remains on hold until further notice.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's complaints of pain, swelling and stiffness in his feet and ankles as evidence of current disabilities. The case is now being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for his bilateral shin splints and knee/ankle pain have been denied. The VA examinations did not find moderate knee or ankle disability associated with the shin splints.

The Veteran's increased ratings for his right and left ankle disabilities are granted, with the effective date being June 16, 2009. Service connection is granted for gout affecting the bilateral ankles as secondary to service-connected bilateral ankle disability and for a skin disability (claimed as skin cancer, status post cryosurgery).

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on several conditions have been dismissed due to voluntary withdrawals by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle fracture with degenerative changes and labrum tear of the right shoulder were denied as there was no evidence of marked limitation of motion, ankylosis, or malunion of the tibia and fibula. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and did not have a current ankle disability during his period of service. Therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board granted a 100% rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral flat feet, effective November 16, 2010. The claim for TDIU is moot due to the combined effects of multiple disabilities resulting in marked interference with employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider all theories of recovery, including aggravation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to technical difficulties with the transcript of his Travel Board Hearing. He will be scheduled for another hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at his local regional office.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims can be fully adjudicated, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling examinations for PTSD and left ankle conditions, and readjudicating the issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals regarding increased ratings for lumbar myositis, tarsal tunnel syndrome, and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been withdrawn. The claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities, bilateral knee disabilities, kidney disability, sleep problems, bilateral elbow disabilities, and bilateral hand disabilities were denied as there is no evidence that any such conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with a 20 percent evaluation for residuals of a right ankle injury. The issues of service connection for narcolepsy and dizziness remain pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ankle disability is being remanded due to the need to obtain his SSA records, including all administrative decisions and underlying medical records.

The Veteran's post-operative traumatic arthritis of the right ankle is currently manifested by marked limitation of motion, but does not result in ankylosis of the ankle or subastragalar/tarsal joint; malunion of os calcis/astragalus; or astragalectomy. As such, he is not entitled to a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran does not have additional disability residual of the cardiac catheterization performed at a VA medical facility on March 17, 1987. The Board finds that his currently claimed disabilities are unrelated to this surgery.