Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ankle disability, at least in part, is related to his service and has granted service connection for residuals of a right ankle injury.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected disabilities is less than total, but the criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service connected disorders have not been met. The preponderance of evidence shows that the Veteran is unemployable primarily as a result of the residual disability associated with his nonservice connected cerebrovascular accident.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, which has been rated as 10 percent disabling since 1987, is now rated at 30 percent due to severe limitation of motion and pain.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a right ankle disability during service and there is no medical evidence linking his current right ankle condition to his military service. As such, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right elbow disorder, a back disorder, and residuals of a right leg fracture due to lack of competent medical evidence establishing a nexus between these conditions and his active military service.,There is no current disability at issue in this appeal.

The Veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation training is being remanded due to the need to determine if her employment handicap exists, which may affect her eligibility. Her left ankle arthritis disability is also under consideration.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development, including a clarifying medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any left ankle disorder that may be present.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition and bilateral ankle conditions, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and a right ankle disability, as well as her claim for TDIU. The denial of these claims is final.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to issues related to service connection and rating of knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle fracture occurred during a period of dishonorable service and is not related to his honorable active duty. As such, he cannot be granted service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an examination to determine if the Veteran's in-service ankle sprain caused or aggravated his current hypertrophic scarring anterior talofibular ligament condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his right ankle disability, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage were denied. The Veteran was granted a separate 10 percent rating for the symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage of the right knee.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of swollen joints, asserted as arthritis of the right ankle, bilateral elbows, and bilateral wrists is being remanded for further examination to determine if he has these conditions and whether they are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates of service connection for psoriatic arthritis in his shoulders, wrists, and ankles have been denied as there is no evidence showing the disabilities arose prior to the assigned effective dates.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability was denied as there is no evidence of current disability or in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions related to his active service. The claims for sinusitis, nervous condition with tremors, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, neck injury, right ankle injury, left knee injury, and numbness of the head are all denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right ankle disability and denied service connection for a back disability secondary to his right ankle disability. The evidence did not support granting either claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and bilateral ankle disabilities are related to service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.