Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his left ankle condition and PTSD are not. The Veteran was provided with a VA examination for PTSD in August 2011, which found no current diagnosis of an ankle condition or PTSD disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the ankles and granted it as secondary to his service-connected arthritis of the toes. The decision is based on evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, including medical opinions linking the ankle condition to the service-connected toe condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with MDD and tinnitus, but the other issues remain denied. The Veteran's claim of new and material evidence to reopen his bilateral leg disability including leg cramps is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left ankle and foot osteoarthritis and left heel spur.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective March 7, 2014. The Board denied an increased rating for the condition.,Prior to March 7, 2014, a compensable rating was not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service connection for headaches, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral leg neuropathy, a left ankle disability, hearing loss, or tinnitus due to his service. The evidence does not support these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to his failure to appear for a VA examination and because there are outstanding treatment records that need to be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his rheumatoid arthritis and parathyroidism.

The Board has determined that the appellant's left ankle disability, characterized as marked ankle disability associated with prior fracture, due to persistent pain, limitation of motion, and tenderness in the ankle, warrants a 30 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral foot disorders, and bilateral ankle disorders, did not begin during or were otherwise caused by her active service. As such, the claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an additional VA examination and the retrieval of outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a left ankle injury, to include arthritis of the left ankle, is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his in-service injury and arthritis may not be presumed.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which satisfies the criteria for a higher rating. The claim has been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ankle disorder is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the right hip disability as secondary to the left ankle disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability and remanded the remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for right knee and back disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a right ankle disability related to service, and thus denies his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disability, left ankle disability, and hemorrhoids were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions are not related to active service.

The Board has decided the case must be remanded again to obtain an adequate examination that complies with the directives of the February 2014 remand. The Veteran's right ankle condition is being reviewed for service connection, and secondary service connection.