The veteran's right ankle strain is not shown to be productive of moderate limitation of motion, arthritis, ankylosis, malunion of os calcis or astragalus, or astragalectomy. As such, the preponderance of evidence does not support a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 5271.
The deciding factor: The veteran's right ankle had full range of motion and no objective evidence of moderate limitation of motion as required by Diagnostic Code 5271.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the right knee, Degenerative joint disease of the left knee, Right ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2003
- Citation
- 0320565
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0320565.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development to ensure that the severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is accurately assessed without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis on the right and left foot, left and right ankle strain, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right hip strain, all secondary to service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right foot residuals of hallux valgus, status post-surgery and a rating of 70 percent for major depressive disorder from December 7, 2022. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance, effective December 8, 2025.
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