Ankle Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle disability, and a new VA examination is required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to further development of evidence being required before adjudicating his pending claim for an increased disability evaluation for his right knee necrotizing fasciitis and his claim of entitlement to service connection for nerve damage of the right knee.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition, right foot condition, initial compensable evaluations for service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee and service-connected right ankle strain, and an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for service-connected bursitis of the right hip.

The Board denied all issues related to service connection and initial evaluations for various disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for increased ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle pain/strain is not due to the ankle sprains she incurred during active service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the right and left ankles have been rated at 10 percent since January 17, 2008.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for flat feet, bilateral knee disorder, and right ankle disorder. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for post-surgical residuals of left wrist fracture is granted with a 10% rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depressive disorder with anxiety, residuals of rubella, right ankle disability, and left shoulder disability as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle fracture was caused by her service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and hypertension, were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right ankle and left knee disabilities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating than the current 10 percent assigned.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a right ankle injury and a right foot disorder, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service motor vehicle accident. Service connection was denied for renal trauma.

The Veteran's right ankle tendon rupture is currently rated at 10 percent, and he has also been granted a separate rating for his Achilles tendon scar. The claimant does not have more than moderate limitation of motion or functional impairment of the right ankle.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle strain was found to be at least as disabling as a 10 percent rating, but not more than that. For the period prior to April 23, 2008, he did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under Diagnostic Code 5271. For the period from April 23, 2008, his right ankle strain was found to have no additional limitation after repetitive use and thus does not warrant an increased rating.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right knee subluxing patella is rated at 10 percent. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined effect of these service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's back disability was rated at 20 percent prior to July 29, 2008 and denied an evaluation in excess of 40 percent from that date forward. The left ankle disability was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability, effective as of the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current arthritis of the left ankle is related to an in-service injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.