Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that the current 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's right ankle disability is proper, as motion of the right ankle does not exceed moderately impaired.

The Board has denied all claims for increased evaluations, finding that the veteran's conditions do not warrant higher ratings based on current evidence of record.

The veteran's disabilities, while disabling, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes due to their combined effect on his ability to work.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for multiple conditions, including a fracture of the right great toe, a disorder of the right leg and ankle, arthritis of the hands and feet, hearing loss, and tinnitus, are not well-grounded.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for the veteran's left leg disability, effective September 12, 1991. The claim for an earlier effective date is denied.

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities in either right or left ankles, and thus denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various conditions, including an injury to the xiphoid with tenderness, a deviated nasal septum, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, decreased grip strength due to an injury to the right thumb, residuals of a skull injury, bilateral ankle/foot disabilities, and hepatitis. The claims are denied as not well grounded.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, varicose veins, and bilateral hearing loss are not well grounded as there is no medical evidence of current disabilities.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's bilateral ankle injuries and left knee disabilities, finding that the current zero percent evaluations were appropriate based on the lack of evidence supporting more severe disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and bilateral ankle disorder, both secondary to his service-connected residuals of a right knee injury. The claim for an increased evaluation for the residuals of the right knee injury is also denied.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hip and knee, both claimed as secondary to a service-connected gunshot wound of the left tibia with traumatic arthritis of the ankle. The August 1997 rating decision remains final.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a right foot and ankle disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The veteran's left ankle disability, which causes marked interference with his employment in the sale and repair of major appliances, is entitled to an increased evaluation on an extraschedular basis. The highest schedular rating available for this condition is 40 percent, but due to the exceptional nature of the case, a 30 percent rating is granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for residuals of stress fractures of the ankles, major depressive disorder, and reopening a claim for service connection for headaches.

The veteran's increased disability rating claim for patellofemoral instability of the left knee was denied. Service connection claims for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, were also denied. The claim to reopen a right shoulder disability was not granted.

The veteran's service-connected fracture of the left ankle is currently rated at 10 percent, and his claim for a higher rating has been denied. The Board also found that his service-connected disability does not render him unemployable.

The Board has found that the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right ankle injury is well grounded. The VA will assist in obtaining medical records and provide an examination to determine if there is a current disability related to the injury in service.

The Board found that the submitted evidence was not new and material, thus denying the reopening of claims for service connection for right ankle disorder, low back disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, right wrist disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has determined that there is no current right ankle condition to warrant service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his bilateral foot disability. The appeal was not about service connection at all, as the issues were related to the severity of the disabilities.