Ankle Board decisions

The Board reopened the claims for service connection for a bilateral knee condition and a bilateral ankle condition, but denied the requests to reopen claims for service connection for anxiety neurosis, hysteria, and a bilateral foot condition.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a left ankle fracture was remanded for additional development, including a more recent VA examination to assess the severity and manifestations of his condition.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence was against a grant of service connection for arthritis of the ankles.

The veteran was granted initial disability evaluations of 20 percent for frostbite residuals of both lower extremities and 10 percent for instability of each ankle, effective July 31, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder as there was no evidence showing the current condition was causally related to active service.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for chronic lateral instability of the right ankle and denied a compensable evaluation for deviated nasal septum towards left, status post surgery.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right leg disability, to include residuals of a right ankle sprain, as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no current disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or diagnosis, and no current disability.

The veteran's right ankle disability was rated at 20 percent from May 1, 2006, due to marked limitation of ankle motion.

The veteran's loss of use of the right foot is not medically established, as he has effective function in his right lower extremity and would not be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below knee with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected left ankle venous disability and granted service connection for a vascular condition of the right lower extremity.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of spinal cord, left hip, bilateral knee, right shoulder, right elbow, and left ankle injuries as there was no competent medical evidence indicating that these conditions were causally or etiologically related to the veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a right hand injury including a scar, a back disorder, and a foot and ankle disorder as the conditions were not shown to be causally related to the veteran's service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle, back and hip disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a relationship to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left ankle injury, numbness and tingling in the lower extremities and fingers, shrapnel embedded in the right knee, and right ankle and bilateral foot disabilities.

The veteran's right ankle disorder was rated at 20 percent from July 19, 2005, and the Board found that a higher rating of 20 percent is warranted for both periods on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for all conditions except an initial rating of 20 percent for arthritis of the left ankle.

The Board grants service connection for PTSD, as the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding a current diagnosis of PTSD related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and earlier effective dates for PTSD, service connection for sleep apnea, heart disability, onychomycosis, lipomas, and left foot and ankle disability. However, it granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD as of May 3, 2006, due to worsening symptoms.

The Board remanded the issues of entitlement to initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with spondylolisthesis and left lower extremity radiculopathy for further development.