Ankle Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection for tendonitis of the left ankle and cellulitis of the left lower extremity to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left shin splints, granted service connection for CFS, and denied increased ratings for ankle and back disabilities.

The Board granted an evaluation of 40 percent for the service-connected degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, 20 percent for the left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, and 40 percent for the status-post arthroscopy for adhesive capsulitis & debridement of partial labral tear (right shoulder) from June 2, 2021, to January 28, 2024.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his left ankle strain and right ankle strain with degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or an earlier effective date.

The Board denied service connection for alcohol use disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and a right ankle disorder. However, it granted an increased initial rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle conditions due to missing service records and an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board granted service connection for a left foot disorder, to include left ankle arthritis, metatarsalgia, and chronic left foot pain, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for left and right ankle fractures with nonunion, finding that these conditions pre-existed the Veteran's service and were not aggravated by it.

The Board granted service connection for right knee, left ankle, and lumbar spine disabilities but denied an increased evaluation greater than 10 percent for the left knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD, while denying other claims. The remaining claims were remanded.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed, and appeals for earlier effective dates for cervical disc disease, lumbar degenerative disc disease, arthritis in both hands, and right ankle sprain were denied.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and a left knee condition, but denied service connection for hearing loss, vertigo, right ankle, right knee, and right wrist conditions. The claims for lumbar spine and allergic rhinitis were remanded.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for the right ankle disability, denied an increased rating for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, while remanding several service connection claims.

The Board granted an initial 10 percent rating for right knee instability but denied a higher rating, and granted earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease, left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis as there was no evidence of a current disability that began during service or is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than May 1, 1994, for the grant of service connection for left ankle scars and remanded several other claims related to the veteran's left ankle.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, as well as a TDIU claim.

The Board granted service connection for signs or symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, sleep apnea, and headaches as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran was also granted an initial disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD.

The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left and right knee strains, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left ankle disability, tinnitus, and a right hip disability due to deficiencies in the evidence.

The Veteran's appeal request was denied as it was not timely filed within one year of the rating decision.