Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle condition is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for residuals of a left ankle injury. The claim for a left knee disorder remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his current medical condition, including recent hospitalization and diagnosis of lung cancer. The RO will also obtain any relevant private treatment records.

The Board found that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a right ankle disability, and thus the January 2006 RO decision remains final.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot and ankle disorders are related to his military service, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder and left ankle disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee and left knee conditions, as well as his right ankle condition. The RO assigned initial 10 percent ratings under DCs 5260 (limitation of flexion) and 5261 (limitation of extension) for each affected joint.

The Board has determined that the reduction in evaluation from 30 to 20 percent for service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was improper, and denied all other issues on appeal.

The Veteran's right knee and ankle disabilities have been granted service connection, but the initial ratings assigned are 10 percent for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that new evidence was submitted to reopen some claims, but the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any condition.

The Veteran's facial scars, left wrist muscle injury, right shoulder and neck muscle injury, left foot scar, left wrist scar, right knee scar, right lower extremity scar, and right ankle scar are all rated at 30 percent each.,Service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of May 22, 2009. Service connection for neuralgia of the left foot was also granted but without a specific effective date.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the Veteran's right ankle fracture residuals since June 15, 2011, finding that his disability picture most nearly approximates marked ankle disability. The previous evaluations were found to be inadequate.

The Veteran's service-connected fracture of the left fibula with osteochondroma and degenerative joint disease of the ankle is currently rated at 20 percent, effective September 17, 2008. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted in this case.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability and concluded that the Veteran's right ankle disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to service connection for status post lumbar spine fusion at L3-S1, but her claim for a bilateral ankle disorder remains pending as additional evidence and information are needed.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current left ankle disability related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board is unable to determine if his stomach condition and hiatal hernia are related to military service due to lack of medical evidence. The right ankle strain, left ankle strain, and right knee strain claims have also been reopened, but the VA examination reports do not provide sufficient information on whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability (Degenerative Joint Disease) and finds that the Veteran's current right knee disability is related to his military service. The claims of service connection for bilateral hip, ankle, and low back disabilities are also granted as direct service connection was established.

The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right ankle disability, service connection for a left ankle disability, TDIU, and service connection for a psychiatric disorder were denied. The claim to reopen the psychiatric disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of left ankle degenerative joint disease and service connection for left knee and hip disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection.