Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's right ankle sprain has been rated at 10 percent since October 8, 2009. The claims for fatigue, muscle pain, migraine headaches, and sleep problems have all been granted.

The Board has received a withdrawal of all appeals from the appellant's authorized representative.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right knee and right ankle disabilities, as well as his request for an increased rating for right foot pes planus, are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The Board will consider these issues after further development.

Service connection for restless leg syndrome has been established. The Veteran's right and left thigh disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, effective September 5, 2014.,The Veteran's right hand disability is rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, and right ankle disability make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for various service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of the requested increased evaluations.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of sleep apnea is related to his in-service right ankle injury. The claim for an increased rating for right ankle disability remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle disability and found that the propriety of withholding VA compensation benefits for military drill pay was not in dispute.

The Board found no evidence of a liver disability or right leg weakness and left ankle weakness during service, and the most probative evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.,Service connection for liver cancer was denied as there is no medical evidence showing a link between service and the current condition.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of current disabilities for the Veteran's right knee, left wrist, right wrist and right ankle claims. Therefore, these claims are denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and right ankle condition, as well as to clarify his current psychiatric diagnoses. The claims for service connection on these issues are being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, loss of vision, stomach disorder, deviated nasal septum, left and right pes planus, respiratory disorder to include asthma, and left ankle disability. The decision is based on a finding that these conditions are not attributable to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, denied service connection for night tremors, granted increased disability ratings for lumbosacral strain and right ankle disability, and remanded the issues of TDIU and reopening of service connection for tension headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination by an orthopedic specialist to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed left knee and ankle disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss are service-connected, but his bilateral ankle disability, neck pain, skin cancer, and other conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's current respiratory disorder, including allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that an additional medical opinion is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's back condition, particularly whether it is related to his service-connected right ankle disability or if it is a separate issue. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle sprain with osteoarthritis and TMJ syndrome are not rated higher than the current 20 percent for the ankle disability, and no compensable rating is assigned for the TMJ syndrome.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was previously rated at 20% prior to July 26, 2014. Since then, the VA has determined that a higher rating of 30% is warranted due to ankylosis in dorsiflexion between 0 and 3 degrees.