Ankle Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, arthralgia of the shoulders and ankles, and stomach disorder due to a lack of current disabilities. The Veteran is also no longer entitled to service connection for bilateral ankle disorders as they were granted separately.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including visual disability, arthritis of the feet (gout), fractured ankles, prostate cancer, heart disability, and COPD, were denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings on multiple service-connected conditions were denied. The VA examinations and medical records did not support the requested increased ratings.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his right ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids (claimed as anal fissures), neck disability, lumbar spine disability, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left ankle disabilities. The Veteran's claims were remanded for further action.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right ankle strains are each manifested by subjective complaints of pain but no objective evidence of limitation of motion or function.,The medical evidence does not support a current diagnosis of a right foot disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of residuals of a head injury, left hip arthritis, left ankle arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The RO granted these conditions effective October 28, 2005.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues, including bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, diabetes, umbilical and hiatal hernia, and periodontal disease, was granted. The decision also includes a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was granted. However, the Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy, claimed as a back condition, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has considered and applied both the old and new versions of VA regulations for rating disabilities of the spine, with the most favorable regulation being applied after the effective date of the regulatory change. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated based on limitation of motion under DCs 5285, 5292, 5293, 5294, and 5295.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, sinusitis, and rhinitis prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and respiratory disability, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected arthritis of the right ankle and knee. The claim for osteomyelitis was also denied on reopening, but new and material evidence had not been received.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ankle disorder is related to a reported injury during active service, and thus grants service connection for traumatic osteoarthritis of the right ankle.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to care for daily personal needs without regular assistance from others or to protect himself from the hazards and dangers of his daily environment, meeting the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the September 2004 rating decision is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for traumatic arthritis of the left foot and ankle.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, left knee and ankle disabilities, low back disability, neck disability, right wrist disability, and migraine headaches was denied. The appeal is also denied regarding the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeals were denied as his service-connected conditions did not warrant higher initial disability ratings. The Board found that the current evaluations under the applicable diagnostic codes adequately reflected the severity of his disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected right ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.