Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's right ankle disability, characterized by marked limitation of motion and osteoarthritis, has been granted a 20% rating effective from March 23, 2011.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right ankle disability due to new and material evidence. The claim is granted, but the left ankle sprain remains rated at 10%.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided were not in compliance with the February 2022 remand directives. Therefore, an additional remand is necessary to obtain a new addendum opinion from a different examiner regarding service connection for a right ankle disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right ankle disability was aggravated by service. The case will be returned for a new examination and opinion.

The Veteran's right ankle strain has been rated at 10 percent since June 7, 2012. From November 30, 2020, the VA found that his symptoms warranted a higher rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's right ankle sprain with residual ligamentous instability and synovitis is rated at 20 percent before December 6, 2019. The Board has remanded the case for further development.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's right ankle condition is granted as service connection due to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral ankle disabilities. The VA examiner found that the left and right ankle disabilities are less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, excluding the periods of temporary total (100 percent) convalescence ratings. The Board has remanded for further development to determine if higher ratings are warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left ankle degenerative arthritis, bilateral lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, bilateral knee degenerative joint disease, and right ankle strain, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, and bilateral ankle disorder. The Veteran's claims were not granted on a presumptive basis as there was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within one year after separation from service.,Service connection was also denied for bilateral knee disorder due to the absence of current disability.

The Veteran's claim for SMC prior to December 4, 2014 was denied as his service-connected knee disabilities did not meet the criteria for SMC.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee, left ankle, and right foot disorders are denied as there is no current disability or credible link to his military service. Service connection for lumbar spine disorder, neck disorder, left foot disorder, sleep apnea, and headaches remains pending with additional medical opinions required.

The Veteran's asthma and right ankle sprain status-post surgical repair claims are being remanded for additional examinations to determine the severity of these conditions. Other service connection claims, including those related to infections, mononucleosis, facial injuries, GERD, nausea, neurological disorders, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, and pharyngitis are also being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including neck disorder with headaches, back pain disorder, sleep apnea, residual of right shoulder injury, residual of right hamstring muscle injury, residual of left ankle sprain, and residual of left hip injury. The Veteran's chest pain was not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and treatment records, particularly regarding his right ankle disability. The issues of increased ratings for his right foot and left foot disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and rating due to recent evidence indicating that the Veteran's left knee, bilateral foot (plantar fasciitis and pes planus), and left ankle disabilities have worsened since their last evaluations in 2018 and 2020.

Service connection is granted for left foot plantar fasciitis, pes planus, and a left ankle disability.,The Veteran's pre-existing pes planus was presumed to have been aggravated by service.