Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle and left knee disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claimed joint pain and arthritis of the left ankle are not service-connected as they are not shown to be related to his active service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's endometriosis and bilateral ankle/foot disabilities were incurred during her active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claimed low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's claimed conditions and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability was incurred during his service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ankle disability and found that new evidence supports this claim. The Board also determined that there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral ankle disability, and thus denied service connection for this condition. Service connection was granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as 'nervous condition'), specifically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's low back and left ankle disorders are related to his service-connected right foot and ankle disabilities, and whether he has a current psychiatric disorder that is related to his period of active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right heel, right ankle, and back disabilities are related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis in the left ankle, which prevented a higher rating. Service connection was not granted for neck or lower leg disorders as there was insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury and chronic low back pain, which were previously denied. The Veteran's claim is granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. Service connection is established for these conditions. However, no rating assigned or effective date determined.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include multiple knee conditions, a scalp laceration, and restrictive airway disease. The appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence regarding his new claims and VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right ankle disability and remanded it for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, right knee, and left knee warrants initial ratings of 20 percent for the right ankle and 10 percent each for the right and left knees since January 31, 2006.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a bilateral ankle strain due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressors and absence of in-service treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his left knee disability, as there was no ankylosis or instability noted. Service connection was also denied for chest pain and a boil on the chest due to lack of clear evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected gunshot wound residuals, which led to a sedentary lifestyle and ultimately contributed to the development of arteriosclerotic heart disease. The September 16, 1947 rating decision that reduced his disability evaluation from 100% to 80% is found to contain CUE due to its failure to consider the Veteran's unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, as well as an increased rating for his left ankle fracture. The claim for a compensable evaluation for residuals of injury to the left elbow was not addressed in this decision.