Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, effective April 1, 2011. The left ankle and right knee disabilities are both rated at their maximum of 20 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current right shoulder or right ankle disorders and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for his hearing. His claims for service connection for right ankle and right eye disorders are still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining clarification of and support for the September 2011 VA medical opinion regarding service connection claims. The Veteran's claims file should be provided to the appropriate examiner.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ankle disorder. His left knee and left ankle disorders are not service-connected.,His patellar chondromalacia of both knees is not shown to be etiologically related to an injury or illness incurred during his active duty service, nor did osteoarthritis of the left ankle manifest within one year after discharge.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his musculoskeletal conditions and abdominal injury, render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to establish an in-service stressor. The left ankle disability rating remains pending as a new examination is needed due to the passage of time since the last VA examination.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 30 percent, and his bilateral pes planus is currently rated as 30 percent prior to November 17, 2013. Since that date, he has been granted a 50 percent rating for the left ankle disability and a 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus effective November 17, 2013.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as his attempts to reopen previously denied claims. The evidence submitted since the last denial is not considered new and material.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right leg numbness and tingling has been withdrawn by the Veteran during a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for higher initial ratings for his service-connected right ankle disability, finding that a rating of 20 percent from May 7, 2008 to July 31, 2014 and 40 percent since August 1, 2014 is appropriate.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a right ankle disability, which he claims is related to his active military service or his service-connected left knee disability. The case has been remanded due to the need for another VA examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for peptic ulcer disease. The Veteran's PTSD and left ankle disability are not related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right and left hip conditions was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for either condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee and ankle, which is secondary to his service-connected residuals of fragment wound of the left thigh, has been remanded due to uncertainty regarding the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right ankle disability that he claims is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary, including an examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the right ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations, including a VA pension examination. The issues are whether she is entitled to nonservice-connected pension benefits and if her non-service-connected disabilities render her permanently and totally disabled.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and the retrieval of outstanding treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, diagnosed as left knee, right ankle, left ankle, bilateral hip, back, bilateral shoulder, bilateral elbow, bilateral wrist, and right knee disabilities, was aggravated beyond its natural course during his active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle condition, diagnosed as right ankle instability, was caused by his service-connected right knee condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.