Ankle Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left ankle instability and her right ankle disorder. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a right ankle disorder and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, and radiculopathy are granted as secondary to service-connected conditions. The issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is dismissed. Bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right shoulder bursitis, right ankle disability, low back disability, cervical spine disability, right hamstring tear, right metatarsal disability, sinusitis, and allergies with chronic hoarseness due to incomplete VA nexus opinion and need for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The case will be further reviewed after additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a back disability, bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities, bilateral hip and ankle disabilities, and prostate disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,Specifically, the Board finds that these claims are inextricably intertwined with the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability.

The Veteran was found to be unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities from November 1, 2010 through June 6, 2012. The Board granted a TDIU for this period based on the combined disability rating of at least 70%.

The Veteran's left ankle and foot disabilities have been rated as 10 percent each, effective February 23, 2012. The Board finds that the current ratings are appropriate given the limited range of motion in both ankles.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as bilateral ankle disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for thoracolumbar spine, left knee, and right ankle disabilities due to incomplete medical opinions and need for additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to May 16, 2014, finding that there was no evidence of increased severity in his service-connected conditions by any ascertainable date during the year preceding the receipt of his claim. The effective date remains at the date he filed his claim.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee degenerative arthritis are rated at 40 percent effective September 1, 2016. The Veteran is granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful course of employment, and thus grants his claim for TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left ankle arthritis, left shoulder disability, and low back disability due to inconsistencies in the medical opinions provided. The Veteran will need further examination and opinion regarding the onset and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle posttraumatic degenerative joint disease/degenerative arthrosis, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a left ankle disability, including Achilles tendonitis, due to potential inconsistencies in the July 2020 VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's history and treatment. The case is being sent back for an additional medical opinion on whether any current left ankle disability was aggravated by Reserve service or running/walking during active duty.

The Veteran's tinnitus, dermatitis of the face, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been granted service connection. Service connection for a left ankle condition has not been established. The initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is denied.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete VA treatment records and requests for additional information from the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder claim is also remanded for a new VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a right ankle condition, left shoulder condition, and neck condition due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.