Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for the claimed conditions as they are not shown to be related to active service.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle, right knee, and right wrist disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection was not granted as there is no medical evidence showing that any current psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), right knee disability, left ankle disability, or right wrist disability are related to the Veteran's active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess the severity of his right ankle fracture and lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability has been granted.,His hepatitis C disability is rated at 20% since December 11, 2012.

The Veteran's right ankle osteoarthritis is rated at 20% for the entire appeal period. Service connection for left ulnar neuropathy was denied as it is not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating for his right ankle and thigh scars, or for a superficial scar on the left lower leg.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle sprain has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his substantive appeal by his authorized representative.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing him with a VA examination to assess his left ankle disability and determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected left femur, right ankle, right knee and right foot stress fractures have been rated as 10 percent disabling since May 24, 2007. The RO has now granted separate 10 percent ratings for the right knee, right ankle and right foot disorders effective April 29, 2013.

The Veteran's initial grant of service connection for post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle was granted in December 1997 and a rating of 20 percent has been assigned since then. The Board found that from September 19, 2005 to May 15, 2009, the criteria for a 30 percent rating were met due to ankylosis in plantar flexion between 30 and 40 degrees or in dorsiflexion between 0 and 10 degrees. Since May 11, 2013, the evidence supports ankylosis of the left ankle in dorsiflexion between 0 and 10 degrees, warranting a rating to 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, right ankle, and right elbow disabilities other than fibromyalgia have been denied as there is no objective evidence of a current chronic disability in these areas.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and the need to obtain outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete VA medical records and a need for a new examination of his right ankle disability.

The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities have been rated at 20 percent each, the highest possible under Diagnostic Code 5271. The TDIU claim has also been granted.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a bilateral ankle disability or tinnitus, and the Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection. The claim for a knee disability secondary to lumbar spine degenerative joint disease was not adjudicated.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected fractured left ankle was denied by the Board. The current evaluation is 20 percent, effective from September 28, 2001.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and left ankle disabilities had their onset during his period of honorable service from September 5, 2000, to September 4, 2004. Therefore, these conditions are considered incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's blackouts and dizziness are not service-connected, as they are symptoms of his hypertension. The fractures to the right arm and ankle were also not incurred in or aggravated by active service. Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for post tibia tendonitis, left ankle and hammertoes of the left foot are being remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a new VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to a failure to timely file a substantive appeal within the required time frame.