The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's right ankle disability, finding that the current evaluation of 20 percent is appropriate given his ankylosed right ankle joint.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records consistently showed a solid fusion in the right ankle with no movement, which does not meet the criteria for higher evaluations based on ankylosis or deformity.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ankle Fracture with Traumatic Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0302428
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 386 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0302428.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were generally granted, with the exception of his request to reopen a claim for service connection for a right foot disability. The rating for residuals of fracture, dislocation of right ankle with traumatic arthritis was increased from 10% to 20% effective June 3, 2010.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied an increased evaluation for the right ankle fracture with traumatic arthritis, but granted a compensable (10%) evaluation for the right knee strain with synovitis as secondary to the service-connected right ankle disability.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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