Ankle Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's right ankle disability, which is manifested by limitation of motion, has been rated at 10 percent. The Board found that the current limitations do not justify an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle injury and bilateral knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during his active duty or reserve service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right and left ankles do not warrant a higher evaluation based on current medical evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and left ankle arthritis, as well as his claim for increased ratings. The rating of 20% for the left knee disability prior to September 14, 1999 is granted.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral periostitis of the tibias and residuals of a rotator cuff injury to the left shoulder are granted. The veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for each condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left ankle injury and lumbar discogenic disease do not warrant an increased rating. The anxiety disorder is currently rated as zero percent disabling.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The RO granted service connection and assigned noncompensable evaluations to all disabilities except right ankle arthritis and residual of fracture of the right fibula, which was rated at 20 percent effective December 1, 1998.

The Board finds that the criteria for a rating of 10 percent, but no higher, are met for the veteran's disability from right knee degenerative joint disease status post reconstructive and arthroscopic surgeries, residuals of left ankle sprain, and degenerative disc disease at L5-S1.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of multiple joints, residuals of a fractured right wrist, partial amputation of left fifth finger, skin disability (telangiectasis), and residuals of a left knee injury. The claim for increased ratings for hemorrhoids was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle injury is not well-grounded and denied it.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected residuals of a right ankle fracture, finding that the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The veteran's temporary total rating for post-surgical convalescence was extended from June 30, 1998 to July 30, 1998. The decision is based on the residuals of his service-connected left ankle surgery.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well grounded due to lack of medical evidence supporting his allegations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for a left ankle disability is not well-grounded and therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for chronic right ankle disability, finding that his current condition is not related to his in-service sprain and post-service fracture.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of right knee and right ankle disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The veteran's appeal is denied for an increased rating for left ankle injury and denial of earlier effective dates for PTSD benefits. The veteran was granted a higher PTSD disability rating, but the RO did not provide an SOC addressing the earlier effective date claim.

The Board found that the appellant's service-connected chronic left ankle sprain does not warrant a higher disability rating than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for septic arthritis, eczema, actinic keratoses, ankle warts, chondromalacia of the knees, right elbow tendonitis, and right ear hearing loss are not well grounded. The service connection claims have been denied.