Ankle Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for right ankle sprain with arthritis, right foot disorder (plantar fasciitis with hammer toes, arthritis, and plantar calcaneal spur), and right knee disorder (arthritis) based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, right ankle condition, and headaches due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent for both the left and right ankle disabilities, as the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximated marked limitation of motion.

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including right and left shoulder strains with degenerative arthritis, right and left hip degenerative arthritis, left ankle degenerative arthritis with chronic instability and anterior talofibular ligament strain, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and obstructive sleep apnea, all of which are secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chest tightness with shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis (claimed as congestion), and degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine. However, a 10 percent rating was granted for bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board denied service connection for left and right ankle pain, as the symptoms are already compensated by a 40 percent disability rating for fibromyalgia.

The Board granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hallux valgus.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea, as there was no evidence of a current disability or an in-service injury. The claims for hypertension, bilateral ankle disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for headaches, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, right index finger disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability as there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle posttraumatic residual pain, finding that the Veteran's disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle and left foot disabilities, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to active service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings to cure errors in fulfilling VA's duty to assist.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle and left foot disabilities, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to active service.

The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and left ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are presumptively related to his exposure during service in Southwest Asia.

The Board has remanded the claims for new and material evidence to reopen service connection for left leg and right leg shin splints, as well as other issues including sinusitis, ankle sprain, heel spurs, chronic fatigue syndrome, and peripheral neuropathy in various extremities.

The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection of various conditions, including degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and bilateral ankle sprain.

The Board granted service connection for rhinitis, right hip strain, and left ankle strain but dismissed the claim for sinusitis as moot. The increased rating claim for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left ankle disability, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a left ankle disability due to VA's failure to notify the Veteran that the address provided for private treatment records was incorrect and the Regional Office's inadequate nexus opinion.

The Board denied an initial rating greater than 10 percent for left Achilles tendonitis based on limitation of motion from May 20, 2013 to April 19, 2018 and an initial rating greater than 20 percent for a left ankle condition based on limitation of motion from April 20, 2018 onward. However, the Board granted a separate initial disability rating of 20 percent for left ankle instability and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition.