Ankle Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip and ankle disabilities as secondary to the veteran's service-connected knee disability.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his residuals of a left ankle sprain due to lack of post-service medical evidence showing ongoing impairment.

The veteran's right knee and left ankle disabilities have been rated based on their current status. The RO has denied the claims for restoration of a 10% rating for the right knee disability and an increased (compensable) rating for the left ankle disability due to failure to report for VA examinations.

The case is being remanded due to the need for a thorough and contemporaneous medical examination of the veteran's ankle disorders, including consideration of functional loss due to pain on undertaking motion.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well grounded as there is no medical evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for back disability and residuals of right ankle sprain, as well as a compensable evaluation for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist. The claim for increased evaluations for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist is still pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and right ankle disorders are not well-grounded, as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current knee disability is not attributable to military service or an already service-connected disability, and thus his claim for service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right elbow disability and service connection for traumatic arthritis of the knees, ankles, and back. The right elbow disorder is rated at 20 percent disabling under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for mechanical low back pain and degenerative joint disease of the left knee were not well-grounded, as there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his period of active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of cellulitis is well grounded, and therefore grants the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left ankle and arthritis of the right ankle with osteochondritis dissecans of the talus are well-grounded. The veteran served in Vietnam, and his medical records indicate he sustained injuries to both ankles during active duty. Service connection is granted as the conditions are deemed to be related to his service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims of service connection for defective hearing in the left ear, sinusitis, and fractures of the left knee. The claim for increased evaluation for residuals of fracture of the proximal left tibia is granted with a 10% rating, while the claim for increased evaluation for residuals of fracture of the left ankle is also granted with a 10% rating.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of ankle sprains is not well grounded. The Board has granted a 10% rating for the veteran's thoracic spine injury, but finds no evidence to support an increased rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and an increased rating for cervical strain with HNP at C5-6, both effective from February 1995.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected right ankle disability, currently evaluated at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well-grounded, and thus denied. The appeals were based on various conditions including right shoulder disorder, ear infections (manifested), tinnitus, right hip disorder, PTSD, left ankle disorder, left knee disorder, and gout.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ankle disability warrants a 30% evaluation, as his symptoms more nearly approximate marked ankle disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for left foot, left ankle, and right ankle disorders are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the left ankle disability.