Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including a new examination to assess his left ankle disability and opinions regarding secondary service connection for right ankle, bilateral knee, and low back disabilities. The appeals are REMANDED.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to worsening of his ankle disabilities and ineligibility for TDIU based on his service-connected conditions. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his right and left ankle disabilities, including any flare-ups.

The Veteran's left ankle condition is rated at 10 percent prior to May 21, 2019, and at 20 percent thereafter. The right knee conditions are both rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle muscle injury as there is no current evidence of such an injury.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and right elbow disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran must undergo new VA examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disorder as there is no current diagnosis and the evidence does not support an in-service injury or disease.

The Board denied service connection for frostbite residuals, blackouts with loss of consciousness, right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, low back disorder, and headaches. The case is remanded for an updated examination of the Veteran's forehead scar.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip condition, a right ankle condition, and a hernia condition. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied.,There is no current diagnosis of a right hip or right ankle condition. The Veteran's hernia condition is not related to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right foot/ankle injury and service connection for a bilateral leg disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's right ankle strain with achilles tendonitis of the right heel, chronic lumbar strain and degenerative disc disease, lipoma of the lower back, chondromalacia of the right knee, chondromalacia of the left knee, and corneal scar and endothelial pigmentation of the right eye have been granted effective January 1, 1996. The Veteran's claim for lateral collateral ligament strain of the left ankle was dismissed as moot. The Veteran's claim for achilles tendonitis of the left heel associated with left ankle disability is denied.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the previous remand directives and has ordered another remand for further development due to deficiencies in the June 2020 VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and traumatic brain injury have been dismissed as they were granted in a December 2020 rating decision.,Service connection was denied for left hip, right ankle, and right foot conditions due to lack of current diagnoses.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting right ankle disability was permanently aggravated by her active duty service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. Service connection was denied for the left ankle disability due to lack of credible evidence linking an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and a need for a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for obtaining updated treatment records from VA clinics and facilities where the Veteran received care between 2010 and 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and right ankle disability have been granted. The heart disability claim has been denied as the evidence does not show more than one episode of congestive heart failure in the past year, a workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness or syncope, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent. The diabetes claim has been denied as the evidence does not show that his diabetes required insulin and a restricted diet or hypoglycemic agents and restricted diet.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a right ankle disability and synovial cyst, as well as higher initial ratings for various nerve radiculopathy conditions, have been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to her active duty service and resolving reasonable doubt in her favor.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of a head injury and left ankle scar. The case is remanded to obtain an updated VA examination regarding the Veteran's hypertension claim.