Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he expressed satisfaction with the current status of his case and wishes to close it.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability due to outstanding VA treatment records that may include relevant evidence.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric condition, a left knee condition, residuals of a left hamstring rupture, and a right ankle condition. The decision also notes that the Veteran was denied service connection for syncope.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee, right ankle instability, and left ankle disabilities. The low back, right shoulder, right knee, left knee, right foot, and left foot disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and further development is needed, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing a retrospective addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's left ankle disability during flare-ups.

The Veteran's left ankle fracture disability is granted a 20% rating effective January 13, 2015. The claim for an earlier effective date is denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current left knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's right ankle osteoarthritis is rated at 20 percent from March 28, 2013 to August 14, 2014 and from October 1, 2014 to January 12, 2016. A rating in excess of 20 percent for right ankle osteoarthritis on or after March 1, 2017 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to May 31, 2013 for right ankle disability and June 27, 2014 for tinnitus service connection as there was no pending claim before these dates.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and skin disability of the plantar surface of the right foot due to new evidence received since previous final decisions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and left ankle tendonitis were aggravated by his service-connected disorders.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his left hand disability, were denied higher initial ratings. The Veteran was granted a higher initial rating of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus.,The Veteran's left ankle disability was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to his failure to authorize VA to obtain private treatment records. The issues include left knee, right knee, left ankle, right ankle, lumbar spine, and right thumb disabilities.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective August 6, 2013. The appeal involves a higher initial rating for this condition.

The Veteran's right ankle disability and right lower extremity neurological disability are being remanded for further examination and opinion. The claim of service connection is reopened, but the Board finds that new evidence does not establish a nexus between these disabilities and service.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle condition, left shoulder condition, and neck condition as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries.,The VA examiners provided negative opinions regarding the nexus between current diagnoses of right ankle, left shoulder, and neck conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's right ankle condition was granted an initial rating of 10 percent, but no higher. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating based on marked limitation of motion. Service connection for his right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine conditions were remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for skeletal arthritis and bilateral hip disability, finding no persuasive evidence of these conditions during or related to the Veteran's military service.,The appeal was remanded on the issue of service connection for a bilateral foot condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for updated VA examinations to assess the Veteran's claimed conditions.