Ankle Board decisions

The appellant's left ankle posttraumatic arthritis is not considered to be caused by VA treatment, and his schizophrenia and depression are not found to have been proximately caused by VA care. However, the appellant was granted compensation for residuals of an infected compound fracture of the left ankle.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's non-insertional Achilles tendonitis of the bilateral ankles is related to his military service and grants this claim.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic left ankle and left leg disabilities incurred in active duty service.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and foot disabilities. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left ankle condition is being remanded for further medical examination and opinion to determine if it is related to his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic back or ankle disability in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board denied both claims: the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability and his request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination regarding her left ankle disorder and the need to issue a Statement of the Case for her ovarian cyst claim.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher initial disability ratings for his mood disorder, left and right ankle disabilities, and bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus.

The Board has granted service connection for a contusion of the medial right ankle, finding that it is related to an in-service injury. Service connection for pes planus was denied as there was no evidence of aggravation during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims, including those related to increased ratings for cervical spine disorder, low back disorder, left foot disability, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder. The issues of service connection for a hip disorder are also inextricably intertwined with these other claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including headaches, right and left ankle disabilities, and myopia, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims are denied.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at a 20 percent rating, the highest available under VA regulations.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus and hallux valgus were aggravated by his active military service, and granted service connection for these conditions. The current chronic bilateral ankle strain was also found to be incurred in active military service.

The Board has determined that there is no current right ankle disability and thus, service connection for a right ankle disorder cannot be granted.

The Board has determined that there is a baseline level of severity for nonservice-connected right knee and right ankle arthritis established by competent medical evidence and attributable to the service-connected left knee and ankle disabilities. The evidence is, at worst, in equipoise, and resolving doubt in the Veteran's favor, service connection for arthritis of the right knee and arthritis of the right ankle is granted.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left ankle disability, effective from February 21, 2013. A separate 20 percent rating is also granted for bilateral shin splints as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic right or left ankle disability during service and denied the Veteran's claims for these disabilities. The Board also found that sleep apnea was not incurred in service.

The Board has ordered the Veteran to undergo VA examinations for his bilateral hearing loss and left ankle disability. The claims are being remanded due to the Veteran's inability to appear for these examinations.