Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's right ankle disorder is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident of service and is not caused or aggravated by the service-connected right foot disability.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left ankle disability and the Board finds that his left ankle pain alone is not considered to be a disability for VA purposes. Therefore, service connection for a left ankle disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VA examinations.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed disabilities as directly related to service and none can be medically related to residuals of his service connected shell fragment wound. The Veteran's PTSD is found to be unemployable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, including articulation disorder (hip), fatigue and low energy, hyperlipidemia, IBS, or diverticulitis. Therefore, his claims are denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD due to military sexual trauma during service, is granted. The right hip and ankle disabilities are dismissed as the Veteran withdrew her appeal for these issues.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and has persisted. The right ankle disability is related to a preexisting condition aggravated by service, but the exact nature of its relationship remains unclear. Service connection for colon cancer is granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for lower back and bilateral ankle disorders, which she claims were incurred during reserve service. The Board has ordered additional development to include obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left ankle instability prior to August 24, 2013 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for left ankle ankylosis with osteoarthritis from August 24, 2013 was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left foot subtalar arthritis, finding that the current disability is likely due to an injury sustained during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosed bilateral ankle disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected left ankle disability. The Veteran's claims on appeal will be readjudicated after the additional development is completed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral ankle degenerative joint disease, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and credible history of symptoms since service are sufficient to establish a nexus between his current disabilities and active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right index finger fracture. The TDIU claim will also be addressed during this process.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and providing the Veteran with notice of secondary service connection requirements.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left ankle disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including another VA compensation examination.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for low back disability, increased rating for cervical spine strain, and compensable ratings for chronic hypersensitivity of the penis and recurrent right ankle sprain. The claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left ankle disability was granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent prior to May 1, 2012 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's right ankle disability, sleep apnea, and psychiatric disability claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including cancer and joint issues, were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.