Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that an effective date of January 22, 2003, is warranted for the grant of service connection for a low back disability. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for chronic left ankle strain is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and knee disabilities are being remanded due to the unavailability of his service treatment records. A VA examination is requested to determine if these conditions are related to active duty.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the local RO in Huntington, West Virginia. The issues of service connection and disability ratings are pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left pectoralis major muscle tear and right ankle disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's VR&E program was discontinued due to unsatisfactory conduct and cooperation, as evidenced by his failure to provide requested information and participation in informational interviews. No mitigating circumstances were found.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left ankle and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show more than moderate limitation of motion in either joint.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD (to include generalized anxiety disorder), and a bilateral ankle disability. The evidence did not support these claims as there was no valid diagnosis of PTSD based on a corroborated in-service stressor, no current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include generalized anxiety disorder, which could be related to active service, and no relationship between the claimed disabilities and active service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to his death, and thus denied the claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle pain and tinea pedis are considered service-connected as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus with fallen arches and shortening of the ankle tendons.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities as of February 27, 2009.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's resolved left distal fibular fracture status post-surgical repair with residual left ankle tendonitis, effective December 2, 2009. The previous 10 percent rating is maintained prior to that date.

The Veteran's right ankle condition, posttraumatic sprain with loss of motion, is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that an effective date prior to November 21, 2007 for the assignment of a 20 percent rating for service-connected residuals of a right ankle injury is not warranted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right and left ankle disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,VA compensation and pension examination revealed mild degenerative changes, but no post-service treatment for these conditions.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, diagnosed as a Shepard's fracture at the posterior beak of the talus, is found to have been incurred during active service and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that she meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now being reviewed on their merits. The appeals for some conditions, such as hearing loss and arthritis of multiple joints, were not fully developed due to a lack of evidence or because they were previously denied.