Ankle Board decisions

The veteran's chronic vasomotor rhinitis with sinusitis and nasal polyposis is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from September 1993. The left ankle strain with arthritic changes was increased to 20 percent from June 18, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right ankle disability, and right knee disability. The decision also found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities include multiple injuries from shrapnel wounds and other conditions. The RO denied his claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to these disabilities, citing the veteran's employment history and vocational rehabilitation status. The case is being remanded for further examination and review.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a left ankle disability was denied as the earliest possible effective date is April 30, 1998.

The veteran's service connection claims for bilateral eye disability, elevated cholesterol, tuberculosis, right foot and ankle disabilities, and postoperative deviated nasal septum have been granted. The rating assigned is 10 percent for arthritis of the right wrist.

The Board found that the appellant's claims for service connection for right elbow and ankle disorders were not well-grounded due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's low back disorder is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, effective from May 4, 1995. Service connection has been granted for PTSD and seizure disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and headaches, but denied service connection for residuals of a head injury and left ankle fracture due to lack of medical evidence linking the current conditions to service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The veteran was granted service connection for certain conditions but not all, and the RO assigned appropriate disability ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left ankle sprain, including arthritis in the left ankle, and inferred service connection for asteatotic eczema of the lower legs based on evidence from service records. The appellant is entitled to a minimum compensable rating for these conditions.

The Board denied an increased rating for the appellant's service-connected left ankle fracture, finding that her current disability does not warrant a higher than 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence of a nexus between the veteran's claimed conditions and his period of service. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The veteran's left foot and ankle disability is related to VA surgery, leading to compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151. The painful scar in the right groin area warrants a 10 percent evaluation. Paresthesias of the ilioinguinal nerve are not compensable.

The Board has not decided the issues of service connection for left elbow and right ankle injuries, but has granted a separate evaluation for tinnitus. The claim for increased rating for PTSD remains before the Board.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, but denied increased ratings for his right knee and right ankle disabilities.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's right ankle fracture, finding that her disability manifested by no more than moderate limitation of motion. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability remains pending.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an original rating in excess of 10 percent for his residuals of a right ankle fracture, finding that his disability only manifested moderate limitation of motion and no functional limitation due to pain.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition and a compensable rating for left ankle fracture, finding that there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left ankle fracture is denied as her claim was not well-grounded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left ankle sprain/avulsion fracture, finding that the disability does not warrant a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 5271.