Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claim, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting further research into the alleged right ankle injury during active service.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's arthritis of the right ankle to her service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination of his left ankle.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and sleep apnea are granted. The claim of residuals of a right ankle injury is reopened but the issue remains pending as new evidence has been submitted.

The Board has remanded the case for readjudication of the TDIU claim after the grants of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee and ankle, as his combined evaluation now meets the schedular criteria for a claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for IBS, as due to an undiagnosed illness in Southwest Asia. The claim of left ankle DJD is denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for a right ankle disability was granted, and he is currently receiving a 10 percent rating. The RO has increased the rating to 30 percent from April 20, 2006 to December 7, 2006, and to 10 percent since March 1, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The maximum schedular rating has already been assigned for the left hand disability, and no other issues meet the criteria for higher initial ratings.

For the period December 18, 2002 to September 8, 2003, the Veteran's left ankle synovitis caused no more than moderate limitation of motion.,From September 9, 2003, there is no evidence that the Veteran's left ankle is ankylosed.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, which included recurrent sprain and three surgeries with chronic residuals of swelling, decreased range of motion, and tendonitis, was found to warrant a higher rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran does not have a current left ankle disability and the Board finds that service connection is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a relationship between the Veteran's current hand, elbow, knee, ankle, and skin conditions with his service. The preponderance of the evidence showed that these disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection and increased ratings. Service connection was denied for a low back disorder and gynecological disorders, while the Veteran is seeking higher ratings for her left knee and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle disability, left ankle disability, sleep disorder, and hypertension were denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or chronic conditions during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back, right knee, and right ankle disorders due to a lack of evidence showing continuity of symptomatology or a medical nexus between his current conditions and active duty service.,There is no credible evidence supporting the Veteran's assertions of continued symptoms since service. The separation examination was normal, and post-service records do not show treatment for these conditions until many years after discharge.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA and private treatment records related to his bilateral knee, shoulder, elbow, and ankle disorders. The case will be readjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for hernia scarring was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for any of the applicable diagnostic codes.,For his left ankle disability, the Veteran's initial claim for an evaluation greater than 10 percent was also denied. The VA examiner found that the disability met the criteria for a 10 percent rating based on moderate limitation of motion due to pain.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee condition with degenerative changes is granted, but the claim for a higher initial rating is denied. Service connection for a left ankle disability secondary to service-connected right ankle and right knee disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's current disabilities are not due to the 1989 motorcycle accident, which occurred outside of VA care and treatment.