Ankle Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right ankle DJD and left knee osteoarthritis due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's current ratings of 10 percent are maintained.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right ankle conditions, but granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed left and right ankle conditions due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between current disabilities and military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability. The claim for tinnitus is granted due to the indication of chronicity since service and lay testimony. The claims for bilateral dry eye, foot fungus, ankle, knee, and wrist disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.

Service connection for a dental condition is granted.,Service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral ankle condition is denied.,Service connection for hypertension as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder and unspecified depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for left wrist strain and remanded the claims for chronic right ankle pain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with osteoarthritis and right ankle disorder were granted service connection as they are considered aggravated by in-service injuries.

The Board has denied the readjudication of claims for service connection for various knee, shoulder, ankle, and lumbar spine disabilities as no new and relevant evidence was received to reopen these claims.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal during his hearing, indicating satisfaction with his current benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not precluded substantially gainful employment, and he has not been in receipt of a total rating or identified a permanent and total disability. The Board denied the TDIU and permanent and total evaluation claims as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone were sufficient to produce unemployability.

The Board has determined that there is new and relevant evidence to reopen the claims for left knee disability and right ankle disability. The Veteran's left knee disability is granted, but his right ankle disability requires further examination and review.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, cervical strain with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, and left upper extremity radiculopathy have all been denied. The highest schedular rating has already been assigned for each condition.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and left ankle osteochondral defect due to inadequate medical opinions provided prior to the January 2020 rating decision on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to restore a 20% rating for his left ankle disability, finding that the reduction from 20% to 10% was proper based on improvement in the condition.

Your previous appeals for service connection for knee and ankle arthritis have been dismissed because the July 12, 2021 notice of disagreement was found to be duplicative.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the physical loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet, and therefore, he does not qualify for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance or adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the failure to schedule VA examinations for his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran has multiple service-connected conditions, and a full examination is needed to assess their impact on employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and left ankle sprain with tendonitis before the Board. The appeal is dismissed as a result.

The Board denied service connection for right foot, left foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.,Service connection was also denied for left ankle and right ankle disabilities as there is no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has determined that a VA medical examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed left ankle condition, as the current opinion provided by the VA examiner was insufficient for purposes of adjudicating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's adenomyoepithelioma was not incurred in active service and remanded the remaining issues for further development.