Ankle Board decisions

The Board remands the matter for a pre-decisional hearing and an addendum opinion to determine if there is a current right ankle disability that is related to service.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back condition and a right ankle condition, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board dismissed all service connection claims and the appeal for a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis due to the Veteran's failure to timely submit a new Notice of Disagreement.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private medical records and ensuring that any necessary medical nexus opinions acknowledge the on and off nature of the veteran's reserve service as well as his very similar job duties during service and between/after service.

The Board granted an effective date of January 16, 2018, for the awards of service connection and subsequently assigned ratings for left ankle, right lower extremity, and right hip disabilities, as well as a 20 percent rating for a lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left ankle disorders to obtain an adequate etiology opinion as to their nature and etiology.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral ankle, knee, and hip conditions due to missing personnel records that could confirm the Veteran's participation in active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or authorized travel.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various joint conditions, cervical spine arthritis, lumbosacral spine arthritis, and radiculopathy of the upper extremities to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board granted service connection for right ankle arthritis and right elbow strain disability, but remanded the claims for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a skin disability, chronic lateral collateral ligament sprain of the right ankle, and left knee strain disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left hip, right hip, and right ankle as further development is needed.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's bilateral ankle, elbow, shoulder, cervical spine, and skin conditions, except for a 40% rating for bilateral ankle gout from March 1, 2021, and a 30% rating for eczema, onychomycosis, and pilonidal cyst from April 25, 2023.

The Board remands the claims for a right shoulder and right ankle disability to obtain outstanding private treatment records from Kaiser Permanente and to provide new VA examinations with medical nexus opinions.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle injury residuals due to a lack of evidence supporting the presence of a current disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings and compensable ratings for various conditions, including vasculitis of the feet and ankle and scars on both feet.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right ankle gout, but no higher; denied ratings in excess of 20 percent for the same conditions. It also granted a 10 percent disability rating for left and right wrist gout, but no higher.

The Board granted service connection for a disability manifested by left ankle pain and right ankle pain, but denied service connection for left shoulder impingement syndrome and right shoulder impingement syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a neck disability with permanent nerve damage and difficulty with hands and legs, left ankle, left foot, left leg, right leg, left leg artery, right leg artery, back, and respiratory conditions, to verify potential toxic risk exposure activities (TERA) in addition to conceded herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's left ankle disability has been granted a 40 percent rating, and the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and TDIU have been remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability and a left ankle disability as there was insufficient evidence of an in-service incurrence or medical nexus, and no continuity of symptomatology following service.