Ankle Board decisions

The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities, including a low back disorder, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the left leg, and bilateral ankle disorders, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability evaluation for pension purposes as his combined rating is 40 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disorders, including a low back disorder, left knee disorder, bilateral wrist and ankle disorders, as well as chronic pain in multiple joints. The RO also denied her increased rating claim for her right knee disability.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left ankle disabilities, finding that they do not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent under the applicable schedular criteria.

The veteran's arthritis of the left knee and left ankle are found to be related to his service-connected right tibia and fibula fracture with depressed scar and atrophy of muscles, which caused abnormal pressure on the left foot and leg.

The Board has determined that no new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back injury, skull fracture, lung/chest disorder, bilateral ankle injuries, left thumb injury, and gastroenteritis. As a result, these claims are denied.

The veteran's claims for secondary service connection for a right ankle disability and left heel disability as well as his claim for an increased rating for the right knee disability were denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ankle sprain does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues regarding service connection and a rating for right ankle disability. The veteran's low back disorder may be related to his service-connected right ankle fracture with traumatic arthritis, but this needs further investigation.

The veteran's service-connected right ankle disorder with bursitis and Achilles tendonitis, left wrist tenosynovitis, status post ganglion cyst excision, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome have been rated at 10 percent each since April 1997.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board has restored the veteran's 30 percent disability rating for his right ankle disorder, effective January 1, 2000.

The VA has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left ankle fracture and excision of the base of the left fifth metatarsal, as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and rating of her bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that a noncompensable rating was appropriate based on the criteria set forth in Diagnostic Code 5279.

The veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 30 percent, which the Board finds insufficient to warrant a higher evaluation.

The VA determined that the veteran's left ankle disability, which is service-connected and manifested by a healed fracture of the medial malleolus with a small bone fragment between the tibia and fibula, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran's right ankle disability was rated at 10 percent prior to April 5, 2000. Effective from that date, the VA assigned a 20 percent rating for his traumatic arthritis of the right ankle.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional evidence and further psychiatric evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle disorder was permanently aggravated during his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's low back disability, characterized as lumbosacral strain, is rated at 10 percent effective January 5, 1996 to August 20, 1996. The rating for the right herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1 with history of right leg numbness remains at 20 percent as of August 20, 1996. A 10 percent disability rating is granted for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles effective December 1, 1996. The veteran's vagina cystocele and residuals of excised bilateral ganglion cysts are each rated at 10 percent.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his service-connected post-operative residuals of a right ankle fracture, which was rated at 10 percent since September 29, 1998.