Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disability. The Veteran's current right ankle disability is more likely than not related to an in-service injury, specifically the 1989 ankle sprain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new orthopedic examination to assess the severity of his service-connected ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's GERD and erosive gastritis are rated at 10 percent, while his right knee and left knee retropatellar pain syndromes are each rated at 10 percent. The Veteran does not have a compensable rating for his right ankle sprain or right elbow olecranon bursitis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current right ankle disability is related to service. The Veteran will need a VA examination to clarify this issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed disabilities as a result of service or secondary to a service-connected disability, and therefore, denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his bilateral knee disabilities were denied by the RO. The left knee arthritis is rated at 10 percent, right knee laxity at 20 percent, and right knee arthritis at 10 percent.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 as he did not meet the durational requirements for a total disability rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ankle disorder was less likely as not caused by or the result of a broken left ankle in service, and concluded that arthritis is more likely due to metabolic or endocrine origin rather than an injury sustained during military service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability, which includes a fracture with internal fixation, does not warrant an increased rating beyond the current 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case to allow the Veteran to present testimony at a video conference hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection of various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, left ankle disorder, and residuals of Achilles tendon repair. The Veteran did not receive a compensable rating for these conditions.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence of right and left ankle arthritis that is causally or etiologically related to service or a service-connected disorder. Therefore, the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right and left ankles have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical evidence and schedule a VA examination for the Veteran's service-connected right ankle fracture.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including residuals of a left ankle injury with arthritis and arthritis of multiple joints, were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The evidence does not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lower extremity disabilities, including bilateral ankle instability, right foot plantar faciitis, degenerative disc disease with spondylosis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hip arthritis, and bilateral knee arthritis, are not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, left ankle disability, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee have all been granted.

The Board found no chronic bilateral ankle disorder in service and concluded that the current diagnosis is not related to active duty service. The appeal was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the requisite schedular percentages for TDIU, and there is no evidence that he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found no current right ankle disability related to service, including the July 1980 parachuting accident. The Veteran's claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran was not found to be unemployable due solely to his service-connected disabilities prior to December 28, 2007. However, on and after that date, his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.